Shinzo Abe -- aka 'Super Mario' -- Loses out on Olympics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes part in the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. (Reuters)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes part in the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. (Reuters)
TT
20

Shinzo Abe -- aka 'Super Mario' -- Loses out on Olympics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes part in the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. (Reuters)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes part in the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. (Reuters)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was a star at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, parading before a sellout crowd at the Maracana Stadium as Nintendo game character Super Mario.

Abe's humorous invitation to the next Olympics in Tokyo was a big hit among Brazilian fans, and to a worldwide television audience.

It turns out that Abe won't be around — at least not in an official capacity — when the postponed Olympics are set to open on July 23, 2021. He announced on Friday he intends to step down because of a chronic health problem.

Ironically, Japan's longest serving prime minister would have been in the VIP box alongside International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach had the games opened as scheduled a month ago and not fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think this won't make much difference,” Jeff Kingston, who teaches Japanese politics at Temple University in Tokyo, wrote in an email. “The Olympics benefited from his backing but now the situation is beyond the prime minister's control. His successor might not care as much, but so much depends on the IOC, the Tokyo organizing committee, and sports federations around the world.”

Abe called in “gut wrenching” to leave with so many plans unfinished. The most visible one — at least to the public outside Japan — was the Olympics.

Abe was in the front row in 2013 in Buenos Aires when then-IOC president Jacques Rogge opened an envelope to announce Tokyo as the 2020 host, beating out Istanbul in the final vote.

It was Abe who assured IOC members at the time that the meltdown of three nuclear reactors in 2011 from an earthquake and tsunami was “under control.” In fact, it was not entirely and Japan is still dealing with the disaster in the northern Fukushima prefecture.

“I think this likely is heartbreaking for Abe,” David Leheny, who teaches politics at Tokyo's Waseda University, wrote in an email.

Leheny said Abe leaves without any signature breakthroughs on women's issues, amending the constitution, or economic policy.

“I think the Olympics would have been the one major thing he could point to and say — ‘yes’ — I did that. I made that happen. He still might, and I think whoever the next prime minister is will ensure Abe has a prominent place at the Olympics, but it won't be the same as his being in charge to welcome people.”

There is no guarantee the Olympics will even take place. The IOC and organizers have said it will, but so far, they have not said how it can happen. There are questions about quarantines, fans being allowed, vaccines — and the logistics of getting 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes safely into Tokyo. Add to this thousands of officials, staff and media — and the fact the control of the outbreak is so different in countries or territories represented by 206 national Olympic committees.

Local Tokyo organizers have stopped holding regular news conferences to update progress, and few details are expected until the fall and into 2021.

“It is with great sadness that I learned about the resignation of Prime Minister Abe,” said Bach, who credited Abe with getting the Olympics back to Japan after the 1964 Tokyo Games, 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo and 1998 Winter Games in Nagano.

“All the Japanese athletes and the athletes of the entire world are very grateful to him,” Bach said.

Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese prime minister and the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, also credited Abe.

“We look forward to the prime minister's guidance during the remainder of his time in office, and hope to receive his generous support in the future regardless of his official position," Mori said in a statement.

A poll this month of almost 13,000 Japanese companies showed 53.6% want the games canceled or postponed again. The IOC has said if the Olympics can't happen in 2021, they will be canceled.

A poll in July found that two-thirds of the public also favors another postponement or cancellation.

Tokyo organizers say they are officially spending $12.6 billion to hold the Olympics, although a national audit board says it’s twice that much. In addition, local estimates say the bill for the delay could add on several billion more. Organizers and the IOC have yet to give a detailed breakdown of the new costs.



Norris Edges Piastri for Pole as McLaren Lock Out Melbourne Front Row

15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
TT
20

Norris Edges Piastri for Pole as McLaren Lock Out Melbourne Front Row

15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
15 March 2025, Australia, Melbourne: British Formula One driver Lando Norris of team McLaren races during the Qualifying session of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa

Lando Norris clinched pole position on Saturday for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren fired a warning shot to their rivals.

In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, world champion Max Verstappen came third in tense qualifying.

Mercedes' George Russell will keep Red Bull's four-time world champion company on the second row. Lewis Hamilton will start in eighth on his Ferrari debut.

"It's the perfect way to start the year. A big congrats to the team, everyone has done an amazing job to start with a one-two," said Norris after his 10th career pole, according to AFP.

"But it is just quali, right? Let's see tomorrow," he added.

"The car is extremely quick. When you put it together it is unbelievable, but it is hard to put it together.

"I'm never going to get ahead of myself, I'm confident the car is in a good place but we have never run it in the wet."

The forecast for Sunday's race is cooler temperatures and rain.

Norris eclipsed his rivals with a flying lap of one minute 15.096 seconds on soft tyres, 0.084sec ahead of Piastri.

"Pretty happy, great to start the year on the front row," said Piastri.

"Pretty happy with how qualifying went but just not quite enough in Q3, but it is a long season so a good start," added the Australian.

"Maybe left a little bit on the table."

No Australian driver has won their home race since Alan Jones in 1980, but that was a non-championship race before Australia was added to the F1 calendar in 1985.

Verstappen, who was the pole-sitter in 2023 and 2024, was three-tenths behind Norris.

But his rookie teammate Liam Lawson, who replaced the underperforming Sergio Perez, failed to get out of Q1.

- 'Quali laps are exciting' -

Mercedes' teenager Kimi Antonelli was another big Q1 casualty after gravel damaged the floor of his car.

"It was good, yesterday was quite tough so for us to be P3 today, I'd take that," said Verstappen.

"Quali laps are exciting, good grip around here and some fast corners."

Verstappen is chasing a second win in Australia after his 2023 victory to kickstart his bid for a fifth consecutive world title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has achieved.

RB's Yuki Tsunoda will start a surprise fifth alongside the Williams of Alex Albon.

Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Hamilton were a disappointing seventh and eighth with Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz in the other Williams filling out the top 10.

Last year in Melbourne it was a Ferrari one-two with Sainz holding off teammate Leclerc for the win, ahead of Norris.

"It isn't quite where we wanted to be but overall I'm satisfied with the progress we have made over the past two days," said Hamilton.

"We didn't expect to be eight or nine tenths behind pole but given this is a weekend of firsts for me, I didn't underestimate how steep the learning curve would be."

Fernando Alonso and his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll have struggled for pace all weekend and failed to get through Q2 alongside Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, RB's Isack Hadjar and Alpine's Jack Doohan.

Haas's Ollie Bearman failed to set a time in Q1 and was eliminated with teammate Esteban Ocon, Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, Lawson and Antonelli.

Briton's Bearman has endured a horror weekend, smashing into the barriers in first practice on Friday and unable to take part in the second session.

He skidded into the gravel Saturday on his first lap in third practice, before reporting his gearbox was "broken" without completing a lap in qualifying.