The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to include softball as a part of the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The vote was held on Oct. 16, 2023 and softball, baseball, cricket, lacrosse and flag football were the sports added to the official Olympic program for Los Angeles.
With the news, Extra Inning Softball is reviewing all five of the previous teams that have worn the red, white and blue during Olympic competition.
USA Softball has fielded Olympic teams in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2020.
This is the second of a five-part series highlighting USA Softball Olympic teams.
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2000 Sydney Olympic Games
Venue: Blacktown Olympic Centre, Sydney, Australia
Head Coach: Ralph Raymond
Roster: Laura Berg, Lisa Fernandez, Lori Harrigan, Michele Smith, Christie Ambrosi, Jennifer Brundage, Crystl Bustos, Sheila Cornell, Danielle Henderson, Jennifer McFalls, Stacey Nuveman, Leah O’Brien, Dot Richardson, Michelle Venturella, Christa Williams
Countries Competing at the Olympics: Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, United States
Format for Olympic Play: Eight teams competed in the Olympic softball tournament with the competition consisting of two rounds. The preliminary round followed a round robin format, where each of the teams played all the other teams one time. The top four teams from round robin play advanced to a page playoff system round consisting of two semifinal games, and the bronze and gold medal games. The top two teams faced each other in one semifinal with the winner advancing on to the gold medal game, while the third and fourth place teams squared off in the other semifinal with the winner advancing on to meet the loser of the first semifinal. Those two teams meet with an opportunity to advance to the gold medal game.
The Eagles in Pool Play: The United States opened pool play with a dominating pitching performance from Lori Harrigan. Harrigan became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Olympic competition as the Eagles topped Canada 6-0. USA followed with a 3-0 victory over Cuba before the unthinkable happened. The United States would lose three consecutive games. The Eagles lost to Japan 2-1, China 2-0 and Australia 2-1 in 13 innings. Team USA rebounded with back-to-back shutout victories over New Zealand (2-0) and Italy (6-0). The United States qualified for the medal round despite its three losses by placing fourth in the group stage. Japan finished the group stage with a perfect 7-0 record followed by Australia (6-1), China (5-2) and the United States (4-3).
The Medal Round: The United States needed to win three consecutive games to repeat its gold medal winning performance from the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and began the quest against China. In a tight pitching battle, Stacey Nuveman hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Eagles a 3-0 victory. Michele Smith went eight innings in the circle before Christa Williams pitched the final two innings. The United States faced the host Australia in the next game and emerged with a 1-0 victory. Dot Richardson singled in Jennifer McFalls for the lone run of the game and Lisa Fernandez pitched a one-hitter to lift the Eagles into the gold medal contest.
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