Top Olympic sponsor Panasonic is ending its contract with the IOC

Top Olympic sponsor Panasonic is ending its contract with the IOC
This photo shows the headquarters of Panasonic in Kadoma, Osaka prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 7, 2017. (Kyodo News via AP)
Short Url
Updated 10 September 2024
Follow

Top Olympic sponsor Panasonic is ending its contract with the IOC

Top Olympic sponsor Panasonic is ending its contract with the IOC
  • In a statement, Panasonic said it became an IOC sponsor in 1987 and expanded to the Paralympics in 2014
  • It did not make clear why it was changing course and said only that is was related to continual ‘reviews how sponsorship should evolve’

TOKYO: Olympic sponsor Panasonic is terminating its contract with the IOC at the end of the year, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Panasonic is one of 15 companies that are so-called TOP sponsors for the International Olympic Committee. It’s not known the value of the Panasonic sponsorship, but sponsors contribute more than $2 billion in a four-year cycle to the IOC.

In a statement, Panasonic said it became an IOC sponsor in 1987 and expanded to the Paralympics in 2014. It did not make clear why it was changing course and said only that is was related to continual “reviews how sponsorship should evolve.”

Two other Japanese companies are also among the IOC’s 15 leading sponsors. Toyota, which for several months has been reportedly ready to end its contract, was contacted Tuesday by The Associated Press but offered no new information.

“Toyota has been supporting the Olympic and Paralympic movements since 2015 and continues to do so,” Toyota said in a statement. “No announcement to suggest otherwise has been made by Toyota.”

Japanese sponsors seem to have turned away from the Olympics, likely related to the one-year delay in holding the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The COVID-19 delay reduced sponsors’ visibility with no fans allowed to attend competition venues, ran up the costs, and unearthed myriad corruption scandals around the Games.

Tiremaker Bridgestone said “nothing has been decided.”

Toyota had a contact valued at $835 million — reported to be the IOC’s largest when it was announced in 2015. It included four Olympics beginning with the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games in South Korea and ran through the just-completed Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

Reports in Japan suggest Toyota may keep its Paralympic Olympic sponsorship.

The IOC TOP sponsors are: ABInBev, Airbnb, Alibaba, Allianz, Atos, Bridgestone, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Intel, Omega, Panasonic, P&G, Samsung, Toyoto, and Visa.

In a report several months ago by the Japanese news agency Kyodo, unnamed sources said Toyota was unhappy with how the IOC uses sponsorship money. It said the money was “not used effectively to support athletes and promote sports.”

Japan was once a major font to revenue, but increasingly the IOC has sought out sponsors from China, with increasing interest from the Middle East and India.

Japan officially spent $13 billion on the Tokyo Olympics, at least half of which was public money. A government audit suggested the real cost was twice that. The IOC contribution was about $1.8 billion.

The Tokyo Games were mired in corruption scandals linked to local sponsorships and the awarding of contracts. Dentsu Inc, the huge Japanese marketing and public relations company, was the marketing arm of the Tokyo Olympics and raised a record-$3.3 billion in local sponsorship money. This is separate from TOP sponsors.

French prosecutors also looked into alleged vote-buying in the IOC’s decision in 2013 to pick Tokyo as the host for the 2020 Summer Games.

The IOC had income of $7.6 billion in the last four-year cycle ending with the Tokyo Games. Figures have not been released yet for the cycle ending with the Paris Olympics.

The IOC’s TOP sponsors paid over $2 billion in that period. The figure is expected to reach $3 billion in the next cycle.


Rain delays day two start of India-Bangladesh Test

Rain delays day two start of India-Bangladesh Test
Updated 28 September 2024
Follow

Rain delays day two start of India-Bangladesh Test

Rain delays day two start of India-Bangladesh Test
  • Bangladesh were 107-3 after being invited to bat on opening day of second Test 
  • Visitors lost first Test to India after shocking Pakistan 2-0 earlier this month

Kanpur, India: Rain on Saturday in the northern Indian city of Kanpur delayed the start of the second day’s play in the weather-hit second Test between India and Bangladesh.

Only 35 overs were possible on the opening day with Bangladesh 107-3 after being invited to bat first by India, who lead the two-match series 1-0.

Morning showers made the stadium workers cover the entire ground and more rain is forecast throughout the day.

Bad light took the players off the ground nine overs after lunch on Friday with Mominul Haque, on 40, Mushfiqur Rahim, on six, batting.

Heavy downpours followed on a day which started one hour late due to overnight rain, with the ground covered and officials called stumps after just 166 minutes of play.

India fast bowler Akash Deep removed the Bangladesh openers inside the first hour of play. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sent back skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, for 31, in the third over after lunch.


Swiss teenage cyclist Muriel Furrer dies after crash at worlds

Swiss teenage cyclist Muriel Furrer dies after crash at worlds
Updated 28 September 2024
Follow

Swiss teenage cyclist Muriel Furrer dies after crash at worlds

Swiss teenage cyclist Muriel Furrer dies after crash at worlds
  • Swiss Cycling said on X: “Our hearts are broken, we have no words.
  • The 18-year-old fell heavily competing in the women’s junior road race in driving rain in Zurich and was airlifted to hospital in a “very critical” condition

ZURICH: Swiss teenage cyclist Muriel Furrer died on Friday a day after suffering a serious head injury in a crash at the world championships.

The 18-year-old fell heavily competing in the women’s junior road race in driving rain in Zurich and was airlifted to hospital in a “very critical” condition.

“Muriel Furrer sadly passed away today at Zurich University Hospital,” cycling’s governing body, the UCI, said in a statement.

“It is with great sadness that the UCI and the Organizing Committee of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships today learned the tragic news.

“The international cycling community loses a rider with a bright future ahead of her.”

Furrer won silver in both the junior time trial and road race at this year’s Swiss nationals.

Swiss Cycling said on X: “Our hearts are broken, we have no words.

“We are losing a warm-hearted and wonderful young woman who always had a smile on her face. There is no understanding, only pain and sadness.”

UCI president David Lappartient said he was “deeply saddened” at the news. “Our condolences are with her family, friends and teammates in these difficult times.”

Furrer fell in wet conditions during the junior road race.

According to Swiss media, tragedy struck in a forest above Kusnacht, on the eastern shore of Lake Zurich, and it took many minutes before the rider was discovered.

“We don’t have any reliable information at the moment,” Olivier Senn of the World Championship organizing committee told a press conference on Friday, when asked about the possibility that it took a long time to find Furrer.

She lived in the community of Egg, only 10 minutes from the supposed accident site.

“Investigations by the competent authorities are under way,” the UCI said on Friday morning, adding that the world championships would continue with the women’s and men’s races scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.

“The World Championship flags will be flown at half-mast for the rest of the competition, and the protocol ceremonies have been scaled back. The UCI gala that was due to take place on Saturday evening has been canceled,” said Senn.

The world road races, of varying lengths depending on the age categories, end on a final circuit in and around Zurich and take several winding roads and descents which can be dangerous, especially in the rain.

Last year, Swiss cycling was hit by the death of Gino Maeder, 26, after a freak fall coming downhill at high speed during the Tour of Switzerland.

In July, Norwegian rider Andre Drege, 25, died after a fall, again on a descent, during the fourth stage of the Tour of Austria.

The first half of the season also witnessed several serious crashes involving star riders such as Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.

Many riders have said that the increased efficiency and speed of modern bicycles is making the sport more dangerous.


Livingstone stars as England thrash Australia to square ODI series

Livingstone stars as England thrash Australia to square ODI series
Updated 28 September 2024
Follow

Livingstone stars as England thrash Australia to square ODI series

Livingstone stars as England thrash Australia to square ODI series
  • The victory pulled a youthful England ODI side level at 2-2 in a five-match series ahead of Sunday’s finale at Bristol
  • This was England’s second-biggest win at this level over arch-rivals Australia in terms of runs, following their mammoth 242-run success at Trent Bridge in 2018

LONDON: Liam Livingstone’s stunning unbeaten 62 paved the way for England’s colossal 186-run win over world champions Australia in the fourth one-day international at Lord’s on Friday.

The victory pulled a youthful England ODI side level at 2-2 in a five-match series ahead of Sunday’s finale at Bristol.

Livingstone’s whirlwind 27-ball innings took England to 312-5 in a match reduced by rain to 39 overs per side after captain Harry Brook just fell short of successive hundred with 87.

Australia made a sound start to their daunting chase but lost six wickets for 28 runs in slumping from 68-0 to 96-6.

They were eventually dismissed for 126 inside 25 overs, with paceman Matthew Potts taking an ODI-best 4-38.

Fit-again opener Travis Head’s 34 was the top score in an Australia innings where only four batsmen made it into double figures.

This was England’s second-biggest win at this level over arch-rivals Australia in terms of runs, following their mammoth 242-run success at Trent Bridge in 2018.

“We’ve taken all the positives and the momentum and brought them here,” player-of-the-match Brook, 25, told Sky Sports. “Livingstone, we know what he’s capable of and he showed that tonight.”

“We just identify the times we need to apply pressure.”

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh accepted his side had been outclassed.

“We were a bit off today but fair play to England they put us under pressure,” he said. “They out-played us today... Liam Livingstone played a gem of an innings.”

England were 16 runs shy of 300 when Mitchell Starc began to bowl the last over of their innings.

But Livingstone, renowned as a big-hitter, then hammered the left-arm fast quick for 28 runs — the most expensive over by an Australian bowler in men’s ODIs — including four sixes in five balls, before finishing with a four.

Livingstone started the 39th over by driving Starc into the pavilion for six.

And two balls later, Livingstone lofted Starc for six over midwicket and next ball drove him for another six. The fifth ball also went for six, via a monster pull, before Livingstone scythed the last ball of the over for four.

Livingstone struck three fours and seven sixes in total as Starc finished with hugely expensive figures of 0-70 in eight overs.

Australia, who saw their run of 14 straight ODI wins ended by England at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, were up against it after that late blitz.

But Head, who made a superb 154 not out in Australia’s series-opening win in Nottingham, launched Brydon Carse for a huge six onto the roof of the Mound Stand.

Carse, however, had his revenge when he bowled left-hander Head for 34 from around the wicket.

Australia’s 68-1 then became 75-2 when Potts had star batsman Steven Smith caught behind for just five.

After Marsh was bowled for 28 by a superb delivery from express fast bowler Jofra Archer that nipped past his outside edge, Carse struck twice in the 15th over to remove Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne.

Potts just missed out on a hat-trick before leg-spinner Adil Rashid ended the match by bowling last man Josh Hazlewood for a duck.

Earlier, Brook— fresh from a match-winning maiden ODI century at Chester-le-Street — came in with England faltering at 71-2.

But he responded with an exhilarating 58-ball innings including 11 fours and a six.

Australia thought Brook had been caught behind down the legside for 17 by Inglis, playing his first match of the series after injury, off Starc.

But an umpire review made it clear the ball had bounced into Inglis’s gloves — with boos ringing round Lord’s as the replay was shown on the giant screen.

It was the second controversial incident involving an Australia wicketkeeper at Lord’s in as many matches after Alex Carey — playing as a batsman only on Friday — stumped Jonny Bairstow during an Ashes Test last year when the England batsman believed the ball was dead.

Brook fell when he holed out in the deep off leg-spinner Adam Zampa.


Lawrence brothers on top of the motocross world after first sibling 1-2 finish

Lawrence brothers on top of the motocross world after first sibling 1-2 finish
Updated 28 September 2024
Follow

Lawrence brothers on top of the motocross world after first sibling 1-2 finish

Lawrence brothers on top of the motocross world after first sibling 1-2 finish
  • The Lawrence brothers from Australia have left all the other sibling racers in their wake
  • By the time the Lawrence family moved across the Atlantic, they were ready for the rigors of racing in America

NEW YORK: Hunter and Jett Lawrence’s parents sold nearly everything they had so their sons could pursue professional motocross careers in Europe.

There were times when every meal, every expense had to be mapped out so the money wouldn’t run out. There was pressure on Hunter, the oldest, to make enough to sustain the family until the next race.

The gamble paid off in a big way last weekend at the SuperMotocross championship in Las Vegas, where Jett and Hunter became the first brothers to finish 1-2 in any motocross championship.

“It’s just a testament to them, our results, who we are as people,” Hunter Lawrence said. “We’re proud to have great parents and I’m sure they’re proud of us. But the sacrifice they’ve gone through, we don’t take lightly.”

Motocross has seen its share of sibling riders.

Bobby and Billy Grossi were the first brothers to each win a motocross or supercross event. Gary and Dewayne Jones were the first to take first and second at the same event. Tyson and Tallon Vohland each won Supercross events, while Alex and Jeremy Martin were the early sibling standard bearers with their success in the 250cc class during the 2010s.

The Lawrence brothers from Australia have left all the other sibling racers in their wake.

Hunter, older by four years, paved the way in Europe, sustaining the family as a professional rider while his brother had other interests in addition to riding, including soccer, BMX racing and competitive hip-hop dancing.

By the time the Lawrence family moved across the Atlantic, they were ready for the rigors of racing in America.

Hunter had a tough start to his US racing career, suffering a series of injuries through his first two seasons. He bounced back to win 250cc motocross and supercross titles, then finished second to Chase Sexton in the 2024 motocross season while his brother was derailed by a thumb injury.

“I didn’t like watching Hunter at all because I was stressing through the moon,” Jett said. “But it was cool to watch him get some race wins.”

Jett, after breaking his collarbone early in his career, took off like, well, a jet. He’s claimed every title in front of him, winning consecutive 250cc and supercross championships before bumping up to 450s.

Jett had a stellar 450 debut, joining Ricky Carmichael (2002 and 2004), and James Stewart (2008) as the only riders to win every race of a motocross season, finishing 22 for 22. He backed that up by winning the 2023 SuperMotocross championship in Las Vegas. He completed what’s now being called the Jett Sweep by becoming the first rookie to sweep the motocross and supercross titles.

Jett’s thumb injury cost him a shot at the motocross championship this summer, but he recovered in time to claim a second straight SuperMotocross title.

The second-place finisher: his brother.

The brothers finished tied in points in the event that combines the motocross and supercross season, with Jett taking the crown via the overall wins tiebreaker. Jett took home $1 million and Hunter earned $500,000 for finishing second to his brother.

That gives the Lawrence brothers 10 combined championships, far more than any other siblings in the sport’s history.

“To have two incredibly talented and driven brothers ascending at the same time in any sport to this level is incredibly rare,” MX Sports Pro Racing President Davey Coombs said. “They share the advantage of camaraderie, familiarity and world-class competition on a daily basis. They’ve known and supported one another in this family journey that’s already taken them all over the world.”

The quick success has been great for the family, made even better because they’ve done it all together.

When Kawasaki wanted to sign Hunter, Darren and Emma Lawrence insisted the brothers be a package deal so the family wouldn’t have to split up. They’ve remained together every step of the way, from Australia to Europe to Dade City, Florida.

Jett and Hunter may be the stars, at least to racing fans, but their brother Tate usually steals the show.

Tate, who’s autistic, doesn’t care all that much about his brothers’ racing — he’s more into cars — but has handled all the moving around well and, being an extrovert, is always the life of the party.

“Everyone agrees he’s the favorite Lawrence ever,” Hunter said.

On top of the motocross world, it’s good to be a Lawrence.


Internationals return the favor with a sweep of their own in the Presidents Cup

Internationals return the favor with a sweep of their own in the Presidents Cup
Updated 28 September 2024
Follow

Internationals return the favor with a sweep of their own in the Presidents Cup

Internationals return the favor with a sweep of their own in the Presidents Cup
  • In a stunning turnaround at Royal Montreal, the Internationals flipped the script by sweeping the foursomes session, a performance so one-sided that the Americans led in only one of the five matches
  • Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im tied a record for the biggest blowout in the Presidents Cup

MONTREAL: Tony Finau could feel a big change when he stepped on the first tee Friday at the Presidents Cup. The horseshoe-shaped grandstand was packed and loud. The gallery was four-deep down the first fairway. The vibe was entirely different.

The biggest difference was the scoreboards. They switched from red to gold.

All of them.

In a stunning turnaround at Royal Montreal, the Internationals flipped the script by sweeping the foursomes session, a performance so one-sided that the Americans led in only one of the five matches, and that was only for one hole.

Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im tied a record for the biggest blowout in the Presidents Cup. Jason Day assured a full point with a chip that was sublime even by his standards. Si Woo Kim polished off a most perfect day with a 15-foot par putt.

Three of the matches didn’t get beyond the 14th hole.

“Incredible,” said Adam Scott, playing in his 11th Presidents Cup without ever winning one. “To come back and show everyone what this team is made of after a tough day out there yesterday is just incredible. ... This team knows what it’s capable of now.”

Tom Kim didn’t play and still played a big role. The 22-year-old from South Korea had said on Thursday he thought the crowd was too quiet, and he hoped Canadian fans would “help us out a little bit more.”

That they did, and scorecards filled with gold International leads were not even necessary. The noise across Royal Montreal made it clear what was happening. Inside the ropes, there was nothing the Americans could do about it.

“We definitely felt the energy right out of the gate,” Finau said. “I hit the first tee shot yesterday in our group, and I hit the first tee shot today. It was night-and-day difference, I think just the noise and the energy.”

Patrick Cantlay and and Xander Schauffele, 3-0 in foursomes at the Presidents Cup, never stood a chance against Matsuyama and Im. The Internationals had birdies on their final seven holes, a staggering streak considering they were alternating shots, for a 7-and-6 win.

It tied the Presidents Cup record, last done in 2011 when Scott and K.J. Choi defeated Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in 12 holes. The Americans didn’t help the cause by not hitting a fairway until the eighth hole. Then again, Matsuyama and Im were the equivalent of 8 under for 12 holes.

Right behind them, Scott and Taylor Pendrith made three straight birdies. They never trailed and lost only one hole in a 5-and-4 win over Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa.

The Canadians delivered, too. Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners won the first two holes in a 6-and-5 rout over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau. They lost only one hole, and that was only after they had a 6-up lead after 11 holes.

“There was a lot of belief among the room, among the guys, that hey, we can still do this. We’re still a great team, and we’ve got a lot of golf left to play,” Hughes said. “We came here this morning, we had our heads held high, chin up, and we were ready to play.”

Two matches went the distance, and the Internationals were just as relentless.

Day and Christiaan Bezuidenhout were 1 up over Max Homa and Brian Harman going to the 18th. Day faced a pitch from muddied grass that had been tamped down by spectators. Once one of the best chippers in golf, even he was impressed to see it roll out to a foot.

“The lie wasn’t that great. It was wet,” Day said. “So I was just trying to understand the lie a little bit more through the practice swings. Is it going to bounce? Is it going to dig? Just for how wet it is.

“Halfway through the shot I had my hand up, just knowing it was going to be a good one.”

And then Si Woo Kim produced one last cheer. In a match in which 13 holes were halved, Kim and Byeong Hun An were 1 up over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley going to the 18th when An hit left into a thick, nasty lie in the rough and Kim couldn’t reach the green.

“It was a tough second shot, so I told him, ‘Just get me inside 15 feet and I got it.’ And I knew I had a chance to win,” Kim said.

Henley missed a 25-foot birdie putt. Kim drained a 15-foot par putt to secure another 1-up victory, another full point, and a deadlock going into the weekend.

Saturday features two sessions — four matches of fourballs, four matches of foursomes — before the 12 singles matches on Sunday.

It’s almost like starting over, and now it becomes a sprint.

“I’m just so proud of the guys, so pumped for them,” International captain Mike Weir said. “To play that well yesterday and not have any points on the board was disappointing. So to see their hard work and them sticking in there and us captains and myself asking them to stick in there and believe, couldn’t be happier.”

It was the sixth time a session had been swept in the Presidents Cup, and the first for the International team since a 6-0 foursomes shutout in South Africa in 2003.

Weir put out three of his best foursomes matches for the Saturday morning fourballs session; US captain Jim Furyk kept three of his fourballs partnerships from Thursday.

“I said yesterday, ‘Their back’s against the wall. They’re going to come out firing,’” Furyk said. “Well, I’m sure my guys are a little pissed off right now back in the team room. The idea is to come out firing tomorrow.”