It's all in the genes

Mongolian Prime Minister Enkhbold is in Osaka, saying something about Mongolian athletes that gets Koreans ridiculed if they say it about Koreans: the standout success of Mongolian wrestlers in the ancient Japanese sport of sumo is due to a favorable gene pool in their homeland.

Just hours before, Enkhbold's 21-year-old countryman Hakuho was promoted to sumo's second-highest rank of ozeki, one of only a handful of foreigners to hold the honor, following a stellar performance at the sumo tournament that ended on Sunday.

Enkhbold, who was in the western city of Osaka to watch the final bout, said the young grapplers were following the traditions of their homeland, where wrestling is considered one of three "manly sports" along with archery and horseback riding. We'll have to ask The Marmot and The Marmotess what they think.