Global InformationList of Olympic medalists in softball information
Softball is a sport that was formerly contested at the Summer Olympic Games. On December 8, 1989, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declined to stage a softball tournament as a demonstration sport in the 1992 Summer Olympics.[1] At the 97th IOC session in 1991, the sport was granted official status as a medal sport for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.[2] Softball was contested at each subsequent Games through 2008, after which the IOC removed it from the Olympic program.
Entering the first Olympic softball tournament in 1996, the United States were the favorites, having won every international competition in which they participated for the prior ten years.[3] The United States team lived up to expectations by winning the gold medal. The Americans lost one game in the tournament, outscoring their opponents by a combined 41 runs to 8.[4] The Chinese team won their only Olympic medal in softball, a silver, in 1996.[5] In the 2000 tournament, the United States won their second consecutive gold medal,[6] although they lost three games in the preliminary round at the Sydney Games.[7] At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the United States earned their third consecutive gold medal, winning all nine games and only allowing one run the entire tournament.[8]
In 2004, the IOC investigated the addition of sports to the Olympic schedule including golf, rugby sevens, squash, roller sports, and karate.[9] The IOC voted on July 8, 2005, to remove softball and baseball from the 2012 Summer Olympics roster, the first sports removed from the Olympics since polo in 1936.[10] Appeals to reinstate both sports for 2012 were rejected.[11] Softball was still played at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, however, and the Japanese team claimed their first gold and third overall medal in Olympic softball.[12] The United States won silver, and the Australian team bronze, to become the only countries to win a medal in all four Olympic softball tournaments. The international governing bodies of softball, baseball, rugby sevens, golf, karate, roller sports, and squash petitioned the IOC in 2009 to fill two sport slots at the 2016 Olympics.[13] IOC President Jacques Rogge said they were "looking for an added value – wide appeal, especially for young people".[13] Ultimately the IOC voted to fill the two available slots for 2016 with rugby and golf.[14] Softball and baseball were reinstated together on a one-time basis at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[15]
Five nations have won medals in softball at the Olympics; the United States, China, Australia, Japan, and Canada.[5] With three gold medals and two silver, the United States were the most successful team.[5] American center fielder Laura Berg was a part of four of those five teams.[5][16] Three Australian players also won four medals: one silver and three bronze. Ten athletes won three medals, while thirty more won two medals.[5]
- ^ UPI (December 9, 1989). "Golf, softball rejected for Barcelona Olympics". Lodi News-Sentinel. Lodi, CA. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
- ^ "International Softball Federation Timeline". International Softball Federation. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
- ^ Capellman, Chad (March 15, 1996). "Richardson Travels Hard Road to Softball". The Washington Post. Washington, DC: Washington Post Company. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Softball at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference
medalleaderwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Softball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Softball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games:Women's Softball Round-Robin". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Softball at the 2004 Athina Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ Starmer-Smith, Charles (September 26, 2004). "Rugby makes Olympic list". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on January 30, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
- ^ "They'rrre out! Olympics drop baseball, softball". NBC Sports. Associated Press. July 9, 2005. Archived from the original on May 3, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
Rogge has basically conspired against the sports to get them removed
- ^ "Olympic sports fail in appeal bid". BBC.co.uk. BBC. February 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Softball at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ a b "Seven sports aim for Olympic spot". BBC.co.uk. BBC. June 15, 2009. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ "Golf & rugby voted into Olympics". BBC.co.uk. BBC. October 9, 2009. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ "You're in! Baseball/softball, 4 other sports make Tokyo cut". USA Today. Associated Press. August 3, 2016.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Laura Berg Biography and Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2010.