Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Softball
at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Pictogram used to identify softball at the 2008 Games
VenueFengtai Softball Field
DatesAugust 12–21
Teams8
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

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 China Beijing  United States
 Japan
 Australia
 Canada
June 9–16, 2007 Europe & Africa Olympic Qualifying Tournament Italy Trieste  Netherlands
Feb. 1-5, 2007 Asian & Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament Chinese Taipei Tainan City  Chinese Taipei1
Aug. 19-24, 2007 Pan-American Olympic Qualifying Tournament Venezuela 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 705311.000--
 Japan 612313.8571-
 Australia 523011.7142-
 Canada 341723.4294-
 Chinese Taipei 251023.2865 2-0 vs. CHN/VEN
 China 251921.2865 1-1 vs. TPE/VEN
 Venezuela 251535.2865 0-2 vs. CHN/TPE
 Netherlands 16848.1436-

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.
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