List of Olympic medalists in softball

Laura Berg, with three gold and one silver medals, is the most successful Olympic athlete in softball.

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 Summer 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]

Only four nations won medals in softball at the Olympics; the United States, China, Australia, and Japan.^[5] With three gold medals and one silver, the United States were the most successful team.^[5] American center fielder Laura Berg was the only player to be a part of all four of those teams.^[5][15] Three Australian players also won four medals: one silver and three bronze. Ten athletes won three medals, while thirty more won two medals.^[5]

Medal winners

Australian player Natalie Ward won silver in 1996, 2000, and 2004 and bronze in 2008, one of four players to medal in every tournament.

United States athlete Lisa Fernandez won gold medals in the first three Olympic softball tournaments.

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1996 Atlanta	United States (USA)[16] Laura Berg Gillian Boxx Sheila Cornell Lisa Fernandez Michele Granger Lori Harrigan Dionna Harris Kim Maher Leah O'Brien Dot Richardson Julie Smith Michele Smith Shelly Stokes Danielle Tyler Christa Lee Williams	China (CHN)[17] An Zhongxin Chen Hong He Liping Lei Li Liu Xuqing Liu Yaju Ma Ying Ou Jingbai Tao Hua Wang Lihong Wang Ying Wei Qiang Xu Jian Yan Fang Zhang Chunfang	Australia (AUS)[18] Joanne Brown Kim Cooper Carolyn Crudgington Kerry Dienelt Peta Edebone Tanya Harding Jennifer Holliday Joyce Lester Sally McDermid Francine McRae Haylea Petrie Nicole Richardson Melanie Roche Natalie Ward Brooke Wilkins
2000 Sydney	United States (USA)[19] Christie Ambrosi Laura Berg Jennifer Brundage Crystl Bustos Sheila Cornell Lisa Fernandez Lori Harrigan Danielle Henderson Jennifer McFalls Stacey Nuveman Leah O'Brien Dot Richardson Michele Smith Michelle Venturella Christa Lee Williams	Japan (JPN)[20] Misako Ando Yumiko Fujii Taeko Ishikawa Kazue Ito Yoshimi Kobayashi Shiori Koseki Mariko Masubuchi Naomi Matsumoto Emi Naito Haruka Saito Juri Takayama Hiroko Tamoto Reika Utsugi Miyo Yamada Noriko Yamaji	Australia (AUS)[21] Sandra Allen Joanne Brown Kerry Dienelt Peta Edebone Sue Fairhurst Selina Follas Fiona Hanes Kelly Hardie Tanya Harding Sally McDermid Simmone Morrow Melanie Roche Natalie Titcume Natalie Ward Brooke Wilkins
2004 Athens	United States (USA)[22] Leah Amico Laura Berg Crystl Bustos Lisa Fernandez Jennie Finch Tairia Flowers Amanda Freed Lori Harrigan Lovieanne Jung Kelly Kretschman Jessica Mendoza Stacey Nuveman Cat Osterman Jenny Topping Natasha Watley	Australia (AUS)[23] Sandra Allen Marissa Carpadios Fiona Crawford Amanda Doman Peta Edebone Tanya Harding Natalie Hodgskin Simmone Morrow Tracey Mosley Stacey Porter Melanie Roche Natalie Titcume Natalie Ward Brooke Wilkins Kerry Wyborn	Japan (JPN)[24] Emi Inui Kazue Ito Yumi Iwabuchi Masumi Mishina Emi Naito Haruka Saito Hiroko Sakai Naoko Sakamoto Rie Sato Yuki Sato Juri Takayama Yukiko Ueno Reika Utsugi Eri Yamada Noriko Yamaji
2008 Beijing	Japan (JPN)[25] 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)[26] Monica Abbott Laura Berg Crystl Bustos Andrea Duran Jennie Finch Tairia Flowers Victoria Galindo Lovieanne Jung Kelly Kretschman Lauren Lappin Caitlin Lowe Jessica Mendoza Stacey Nuveman Cat Osterman Natasha Watley	Australia (AUS)[27] 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

Athlete medal leaders

Athletes who won at least two gold medals or three total medals are listed below.^[5]

Athlete	Nation	Olympics	Total	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Berg, LauraLaura Berg	United States (USA)	1996–2008	4	3	1	0
Roche, MelanieMelanie Roche	Australia (AUS)	1996–2008	4	0	1	3
Ward, NatalieNatalie Ward	Australia (AUS)	1996–2008	4	0	1	3
Harding, TanyaTanya Harding	Australia (AUS)	1996–2008	4	0	1	3
O'Brien, LeahLeah O'Brien	United States (USA)	1996–2004	3	3	0	0
Fernandez, LisaLisa Fernandez	United States (USA)	1996–2004	3	3	0	0
Harrigan, LoriLori Harrigan	United States (USA)	1996–2004	3	3	0	0
Bustos, CrystlCrystl Bustos	United States (USA)	2000–2008	3	2	1	0
Nuveman, StaceyStacey Nuveman	United States (USA)	2000–2008	3	2	1	0
Allen, SandraSandra Allen	Australia (AUS)	2000–2008	3	0	1	2
Wilkins, BrookeBrooke Wilkins	Australia (AUS)	1996–2004	3	0	1	2
Titcume, NatalieNatalie Titcume	Australia (AUS)	2000–2008	3	0	1	2
Morrow, SimmoneSimmone Morrow	Australia (AUS)	2000–2008	3	0	1	2
Edebone, PetaPeta Edebone	Australia (AUS)	1996–2004	3	0	1	2
Williams, Christa LeeChrista Lee Williams	United States (USA)	1996–2000	2	2	0	0
Cornell, SheilaSheila Cornell	United States (USA)	1996–2000	2	2	0	0
Smith, MicheleMichele Smith	United States (USA)	1996–2000	2	2	0	0
Richardson, DotDot Richardson	United States (USA)	1996–2000	2	2	0	0

See also

• Softball at the Summer Olympics
• Women's Softball World Championship
• Softball at the World Games

References

General

• "Results database". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved April 8, 2010.

Specific

1. UPI (December 9, 1989). "Golf, softball rejected for Barcelona Olympics". Lodi News-Sentinel (Lodi, CA). Retrieved 3 April 2010.
2. "International Softball Federation Timeline". International Softball Federation. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
3. Capellman, Chad (March 15, 1996). "Richardson Travels Hard Road to Softball". The Washington Post (Washington, DC: Washington Post Company). Retrieved April 11, 2010.
4. Kubatko, Justin. "Softball at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
5. Kubatko, Justin. "Softball". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
6. Kubatko, Justin. "Softball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
7. Kubatko, Justin. "Softball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games:Women's Softball Round-Robin". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
8. Kubatko, Justin. "Softball at the 2004 Athina Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
9. Starmer-Smith, Charles (September 26, 2004). "Rugby makes Olympic list". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved April 8, 2010.
10. "They'rrre out! Olympics drop baseball, softball". NBC Sports. Associated Press. July 9, 2005. Retrieved April 25, 2010. Rogge has basically conspired against the sports to get them removed
11. "Olympic sports fail in appeal bid". BBC.co.uk (BBC). February 9, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
12. Kubatko, Justin. "Softball at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Women's Softball Summary". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
13. "Seven sports aim for Olympic spot". BBC.co.uk (BBC). June 15, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
14. "Golf & rugby voted into Olympics". BBC.co.uk (BBC). October 9, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
15. Kubatko, Justin. "Laura Berg Biography and Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
16. Kubatko, Justin. "United States Softball at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
17. Kubatko, Justin. "China Softball at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
18. Kubatko, Justin. "Australia Softball at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
19. Kubatko, Justin. "United States Softball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
20. Kubatko, Justin. "Japan Softball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
21. Kubatko, Justin. "Australia Softball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
22. Kubatko, Justin. "United States Softball at the 2004 Athina Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
23. Kubatko, Justin. "Australia Softball at the 2004 Athina Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
24. Kubatko, Justin. "Japan Softball at the 2004 Athina Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
25. Kubatko, Justin. "Japan Softball at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
26. Kubatko, Justin. "United States Softball at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
27. Kubatko, Justin. "Australia Softball at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 26, 2010.