Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Softball at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Pictogram used to identify softball at the 2008 Games
Venue	Fengtai Softball Field
Dates	August 12–21
Teams	8
Medalists
Japan    United States    Australia

Competing teams

Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took place over a ten-day period starting August 12 and culminating in the medal finals on August 21. All games were played at the Fengtai Softball Field. Olympic softball is a women only competition, with men competing in the similar sport of baseball.

This is the most most recently contested softball tournament in Olympic history, as the International Olympic Committee voted to remove baseball from the program in the 2012 Olympics.^[1] Many theories abound, but the most common one is that the U.S. teams are simply too dominant in the sport, having won gold in the previous three Olympics and winning them convincingly.^[2] Along with baseball, softball was rejected for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Olympics at the IOC's meeting in October 2009.^[3] However, following a 2016 IOC vote, softball will again be conducted for the 2020 Games.^[4]

Medalists

In one of the major upsets of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Japan defeated U.S. 3-1 to win the gold medal. The Americans have won gold and dominated their opponents in the previous three Olympics. This is the only Olympic Softball Gold Medal that the U.S. has not won. Their dominance was cited as one of the reasons why the IOC voted to drop the sport from the 2012 Olympics.

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Japan (JPN) Naho Emoto Motoko Fujimoto Megu Hirose Emi Inui Sachiko Ito Ayumi Karino Satoko Mabuchi Yukiyo Mine Masumi Mishina Rei Nishiyama Hiroko Sakai Rie Sato Mika Someya Yukiko Ueno Eri Yamada	United States (USA) Monica Abbott Stacey Nuveman Crystl Bustos Jennie Finch Laura Berg Lauren Lappin Lovieanne Jung Cat Osterman Tairia Flowers Andrea Duran Jessica Mendoza Victoria Galindo Kelly Kretschman Caitlin Lowe Natasha Watley	Australia (AUS) Jodie Bowering Kylie Cronk Kelly Hardie Tanya Harding Sandy Lewis Simmone Morrow Tracey Mosley Stacey Porter Melanie Roche Justine Smethurst Danielle Stewart Natalie Titcume Natalie Ward Belinda Wright Kerry Wyborn

Participants

Australia  Canada  China  Chinese Taipei

Japan  Netherlands  United States  Venezuela

Competition format

Eight teams compete in the Olympic softball tournament, and the competition consists of two rounds. The preliminary round follows a round robin format, where each of the teams plays all the other teams once. Following this, the top four teams advance to a page playoff system round consisting of two semifinal games, and finally the bronze and gold medal games.

Qualification

The eight teams in the Olympic softball tournament will qualify through a series of tournaments. China, as the host nation, is guaranteed one automatic entry. The top four finalists at the 2006 Softball World Championships will be qualified for the Olympic tournament. Finally, there will be continental qualifying tournaments for Europe/Africa, Pan-America, and Asia/Oceania, with the winners of each tournament earning a spot in the Olympic tournament.

Qualification schedule

Date	Event	Location	Qualifier
	Host Nation		China
Aug 20-29, 2006	2006 ISF World Championship	Beijing	United States  Japan  Australia  Canada
June 9–16, 2007	Europe & Africa Olympic Qualifying Tournament	Trieste	Netherlands
Feb. 1-5, 2007	Asian & Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament	Tainan City	Chinese Taipei^1
Aug. 19-24, 2007	Pan-American Olympic Qualifying Tournament	Valencia	Venezuela

^Note 1 : Chinese Taipei is the official IOC designation for the state officially referred to as the Republic of China, more commonly known as Taiwan. (See also political status of Taiwan for details.)

Group stage

Preliminary round

	Qualified for the semifinals
	Eliminated

The top four teams will advance to the semifinal round.

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)

Team	W	L	RS	RA	WIN%	GB	Tiebreaker
United States	7	0	53	1	1.000	-	-
Japan	6	1	23	13	.857	1	-
Australia	5	2	30	11	.714	2	-
Canada	3	4	17	23	.429	4	-
Chinese Taipei	2	5	10	23	.286	5	2-0 vs. CHN/VEN
China	2	5	19	21	.286	5	1-1 vs. TPE/VEN
Venezuela	2	5	15	35	.286	5	0-2 vs. CHN/TPE
Netherlands	1	6	8	48	.143	6	-

Tiebreaking procedures follow the International Softball Federation's standard procedure for the resolution of ties.^[5]

August 12

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2  Canada 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 6 11 0 WP: Lauren Bay(1-0)   LP: Chia-Yen Wu(0-1) Home runs: TPE: Chia-Ching Ll(1) CAN: None Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  United States 0 4 2 5 0 X X 11 11 0  Venezuela 0 0 0 0 0 X X 0 0 2 WP: Jennie Finch(1-0)   LP: Johana Gómez(0-1) Home runs: USA: Natasha Watley(1), Caitlin Lowe(1), Crystl Bustos(1) VEN: None

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  China 0 0 0 0 5 1 4 10 13 1  Netherlands 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 3 WP: Huili Yu(1-0)   LP: Kristi de Varies(0-1) Home runs: CHN: Lifang Zhang(1), Zhou Yi(1) NED: Marloes Fellinger(1) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Australia 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 1  Japan 3 1 0 0 0 0 X 4 5 1 WP: Yukiko Ueno(1-0)   LP: Melanie Roche(0-1) Home runs: AUS: Jodie Bowering(1), Natalie Titcume(1) JPN: Satoko Mabuchi(1)

August 13

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  China 1 0 1 0 3 1 1 7 10 1  Venezuela 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 6 0 WP: Wei Lu(1-0)   LP: Mariangee Bogado(0-1) Home runs: CHN: Yanhong Yu(1) VEN: None Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  United States 0 0 0 0 1 2 X 3 5 0  Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 WP: Cat Osterman(1-0)   LP: Tanya Harding(0-1) Home runs: USA: Crystl Bustos(2) AUS: None

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Japan 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 9 1  Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 1 WP: Hiroko Sakai(1-0)   LP: Sheng-Jung Lai(0-1) Home runs: JPN: Satoko Mabuchi(2) TPE: None Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Canada 0 0 3 4 1 1 X 9 11 1  Netherlands 0 0 0 1 1 0 X 2 3 1 WP: Danielle Lawrie(1-0)   LP: Kristi de Varies(0-2) Home runs: CAN: Kaleigh Rafter(1), Melanie Matthews(1) NED: Sandra Gouverneur(1)

August 14

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  China 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0  Australia 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 2 WP: Tanya Harding(1-1)   LP: Huili Yu(1-1) Home runs: CHN: None AUS: Simmone Morrow(1,2) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Canada 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3  United States 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 8 6 1 WP: Cat Osterman(2-0)   LP: Dione Meier(0-1)

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1  Japan 2 0 0 0 1 0 X 3 8 0 WP: Hiroko Sakai(2-0)   LP: Judith van Kampen(0-1)   Sv: Naho Emoto(1) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Chinese Taipei 2 0 0 1 0 0 X 3 6 0  Venezuela 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 WP: Chia-Yen Wu(1-1)   LP: Johana Gómez(0-2) Home runs: TPE: Hsueh-Mei Lu(1) VEN: None

August 15

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  Canada 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 2 WP: Lauren Bay(2-0)   LP: Wei Lu(1-1) Home runs: CHN: None CAN: Jennifer Yee(1) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  United States 4 0 0 3 0 X X 7 9 0  Japan 0 0 0 0 0 X X 0 1 1 WP: Monica Abbott(1-0)   LP: Naho Emoto(0-1) Home runs: USA: Natasha Watley(2), Jessica Mendoza(1,2), Crystl Bustos(3) JPN: None

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Australia 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 3 5 0  Chinese Taipei 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 WP: Kelly Hardie(1-0)   LP: Sheng-Jung Lai(0-2) Home runs: AUS: Natalie Ward(1), Natalie Titcume(2) TPE: None Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Venezuela 3 3 0 2 X X X 8 7 0  Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 X X 0 1 0 WP: Mariangee Bogado(1-1)   LP: Kristi de Varies(0-3)

August 16

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Japan 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 0  China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 WP: Yukiko Ueno(2-0)   LP: Wei Lu(1-2)   Sv: Hiroko Sakai(1) Home runs: JPN: Rie Sato(1) CHN: None Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  United States 1 0 5 1 X X X 7 10 0  Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 X X 0 2 1 WP: Jennie Finch(2-0)   LP: Su-Hua Lin(0-1) Home runs: USA: Jessica Mendoza(3) TPE: None

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2  Australia 0 2 0 2 0 0 4 8 7 0 WP: Justine Smethurst(1-0)   LP: Kristi de Varies(0-4) Home runs: NED: None AUS: Simmone Morrow(3), Sandy Lewis(1) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Venezuela 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 4 0  Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 WP: Mariangee Bogado(2-1)   LP: Danielle Lawrie(1-1) Home runs: VEN: Yuruby Alicart(1) CAN: None

August 17

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Chinese Taipei 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 6 1  China 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 WP: Ming-Hui Chueh(1-0)   LP: Huili Yu(1-2) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Venezuela 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 7 0  Japan 0 0 0 1 4 0 X 5 9 0 WP: Hiroko Sakai(3-0)   LP: Mariangee Bogado(2-2) Home runs: VEN: None JPN: Satoko Mabuchi(3), Eri Yamada (1)

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Australia 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 4 0  Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 WP: Tanya Harding(2-1)   LP: Lauren Bay(2-1) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  United States 1 2 3 2 X X X 8 13 0  Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 X X 0 0 1 WP: Monica Abbott(2-0)   LP: Rebecca Soumeru(0-1) Home runs: USA: Tairia Flowers(1), Crystl Bustos(4), Jessica Mendoza(4) NED: None

August 18

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Netherlands 0 2 2 0 0 0 X 4 6 3  Chinese Taipei 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 7 1 WP: Rebecca Soumeru(1-1)   LP: Ming-Hui Chueh(1-1)   Sv: Rebecca Soumeru(1) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  China 0 0 0 0 0 X X 0 1 1  United States 9 0 0 0 X X X 9 9 0 WP: Cat Osterman(3-0)   LP: Wei Lu(1-3) Home runs: CHN: None USA: Kelly Kretschman(1)

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3  Japan 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 6 9 0 WP: Yukiko Ueno(3-0)   LP: Lauren Bay(2-2)   Sv: Mika Someya(1) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Venezuela 0 0 0 0 2 X X 2 1 0  Australia 4 1 0 4 0 X X 9 8 0 WP: Justine Smethurst(2-0)   LP: Mariangee Bogado(2-3) Home runs: VEN: None AUS: Danielle Stewart(1)

Medal round

The loser of 1&2 seed game will play the winner of the 3&4 seed game in the bronze medal match. The loser of the bronze medal match wins the bronze medal while the winner goes on to play the winner of the 1&2 seed game for the gold medal in the gold medal match.

	Semifinals					Bronze medal game					Gold medal game
	1	United States	4
	2	Japan	1								1	United States	1
						3	Australia	3			2	Japan	3
						2	Japan	4
	3	Australia	5
	4	Canada	3

Semi finals

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E  United States 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 6 0  Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 WP: Monica Abbott(3-0)   LP: Yukiko Ueno(3-1)   Sv: Cat Osterman Home runs: USA: Crystl Bustos(5) JPN: None

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E  Australia 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 5 4 2  Canada 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 5 2 WP: Tanya Harding(3-1)   LP: Lauren Bay(2-3) Home runs: : Sandy Lewis(1), Danielle Stewart(2) : None

Bronze medal match

Winner advances to gold medal match. Loser wins bronze medal.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	R	H	E
Australia	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	3	7	2
Japan	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	4	11	1
WP: Yukiko Ueno(4-1)   LP: Tanya Harding(3-2) Home runs: AUS: Kerry Wyborn, JPN: Megu Hirose

Gold medal match

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Japan	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	3	4	0
United States	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	5	2
WP: Yukiko Ueno(5-1)   LP: Cat Osterman(3-1) Home runs: JPN: Eri Yamada (2) USA: Crystl Bustos (6)

References

1. Michaelis, Vicki (2005-07-08). "Baseball, softball bumped from Olympics". USA Today. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
2. Dodd, Mike (August 21, 2008). "Even in defeat, U.S. proves point about softball's parity". USA Today. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
3. "Olympic Leaders Approve Golf and Rugby for 2016 Summer Games". Fox News. Associated Press. August 13, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
4. Victor Mather (August 3, 2016). "Baseball and Softball Returning to Olympics in 2020". New York Times.
5. Archived December 11, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.

External links

• IOC Softball
• International Softball Federation
• ISF Olympic Softball