Softball at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held at the Olympic Softball Stadium in the Helliniko Olympic Complex from August 14 to 23. The United States (USA) won the gold while Australia (AUS) took silver and Japan (JPN) got bronze.
Baseball at the Summer Olympics unofficially debuted at the 1904 Summer Olympics and became an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The event was last played in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, with South Korea taking the gold; the sport was dropped from the Summer Olympic program but will be revived as part of the program for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Lisa Maria Fernandez is a Puerto Rican-American former softball player and assistant coach at the UCLA Bruins softball team. Playing as a right-handed hitting pitcher and third baseman, she was a collegiate and three-time medal winning Olympian.
Softball at the Summer Olympics was on the Olympic programme from 1996 to 2008. It was introduced at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Softball was removed from the programme for 2012 and 2016, but was added, along with baseball, for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Brooke Wilkins-Penfold is an Australian, former collegiate All-American, retired three-time Olympic Games medalist, left-handed softball pitcher, originally from Sydney, New South Wales. Wilkins played two years from 1994 to 1995 for the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine in the Big West Conference, ranking in career pitching records for both. She later who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics for Team Australia as a starting pitcher for the national team.
Sandra Lewis is a softball player from Australia, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Joanne Brown is a former softball catcher and outfielder from Australia, who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Olympics.
The Japan women's national softball team is the national team of Japan in international softball competitions. It is governed by the Japan Softball Association. They are currently ranked #2 in the world by the International Softball Federation. In four Olympic Games, since 1996 until 2008, Japan has won one gold medal, a silver medal and a bronze medal. In the top four nations at the Olympics, Japan is the second most successful national team, following the United States, and beating out Australia and China with one silver medal. After winning the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Japanese national team was defeated by the United States team at the XII Women's Softball World Championship in Caracas, Venezuela.
Stacey Porter is an Australian professional indigenous softball first/third baseman. She represents New South Wales in Australian national competitions, where she has won several national championships on the junior and senior team. She played university softball for the University of Hawaii from 2001 to 2003 where she set several records and was named to the All-American team. She plays professional softball in Japan. She represented Australia at the junior level and continues to represent Australia at the senior level and is current Australian Captain. Stacey competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics where she won a silver medal and the 2008 Summer Olympics where she won a bronze medal and has competed in multiple world softball championships.
The Australia women's national softball team, also known as the Aussie Spirit, or the Dingeroos, is the national softball team of Australia. It is governed by Softball Australia and takes part in international softball competitions. They are one of Australia's most successful women's sporting teams on the world stage, and they have achieved outstanding results over the last 3 decades. Alongside the USA team, the Aussie Spirit are the only other team to medal at all 4 Olympics that softball was included as a sport in the Olympics program. At the inaugural Women's Softball World Championship held in Melbourne, 1965. Australia claimed the first ever title, winning Gold and stamped themselves as a pioneer in the sport.
Jennifer Lynn Brundage is an American, former collegiate All-American, 2000 Gold Medal winning Olympian, right-handed softball third basemen, originally from Irvine, California. She played for the UCLA Bruins from 1992–95 and won the 1992 Women's College World Series championship. Brundage was named Honda Sports Award for softball as Player of The Year in 1995. As a part of Team USA softball, she won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She is currently assistant softball coach for the Michigan Wolverines.
Michelle Ruether Venturella is an American, former collegiate All-American, gold medal winning Olympian, left-handed softball player and current Head Coach, originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. Venturella played for the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Conference, being named a three-time all-conference honoree and the 1994 Player of The Year. She later served as an alternate for the 1996 Olympics and then winning a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics for Team USA softball. She who is currently head coach at Washington University in St. Louis.
Sheila Marie Cornell-Douty is an American, two-time Gold Medal winning Olympian and former collegiate right-handed softball first basemen, originally from Woodland Hills, California. Cornell-Douty won two National Championships with the UCLA Bruins in 1982 and 1984. After graduating from UCLA she played for the Stratford Brakettes from 1988 through 1994. She also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where she received a gold medal with the American team. She was also a member of the American gold winning team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2006, and the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame in 2007.
Christa Lee Williams-Yates is an American, former collegiate three-time All-American, two-time Gold Medal winning Olympian, retired three-time pro All-Star, right-handed hitting softball pitcher originally from Houston, Texas. She competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where she received a gold medal with the American team. Four years later at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she won her second gold medal. Williams-Yates began her college career with the UCLA Bruins in 1997 before transferring to play softball with the Texas Longhorns (1998-99). Joining in its inaugural year, she played three years in the National Pro Fastpitch with the Texas Thunder (2004-06) and still ranks top-10 in career wins, strikeouts, ERA among other records. In 2018, Williams-Yates was named to the USA National Softball Hall of Fame. Currently, Williams-Yates teaches high school softball in Friendswood, Texas.
Jocelyn "Joyce" Mavis Lester, OAM is an Australian softball player and coach. A catcher and outfielder, she joined the Australia women's national softball team in 1977, and captained it from 1985 until its bronze medal win at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, when she retired from international competition.. She played professionally for the first time in Japan from 1996 to 1999, and thereafter coached softball in both Japan and Australia. She was named to the world all-star softball team in 1986 and 1989, and has been inducted into the Queensland, Australian and world softball halls of fame.
Reika Utsugi is a Japanese softball player who played 3rd base. Originally from China, she was naturalised as a Japanese citizen in 1995. She played in the Japanese teams that won the silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics and the bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Jocelyn McCallum is an Australian softball player. She is a pitcher and represents Queensland in state competitions. She has also represented Australia on the junior and senior level. She was close to being selected for the national team that competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics but did not make the final cut. She was selected for the 2012 Australia women's national softball team as a non-travelling reserve. She was a member of the 2014 Australia women's national softball team. She has played professional softball for teams in Europe and the United States.
Kym Tollenaere is an Australian softball catcher who lives in Queensland, whom she represents in national competitions. She has represented Australia as a member of the Australia women's national softball team. She made the training squad but ultimately did not represent Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics. As a member of the national team, she earned a gold medal at the 2005 Canada Cup, a silver at the 2005 Pacific Rim tournament and a bronze medal at the 2005 World Cup. She is trying to secure a sport on the squad that will compete at the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Championships. She has played softball professionally in Japan.
Chelsea Forkin is a softball and baseball player. As a softball player, Chelsea has won 3 Australian National Championship titles with the Western Australian Flames and 1 title with the Queensland Heat. She was selected to the Australian women's national softball team, for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Fiona Timu is a New Zealand softball player. She competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where the New Zealand team placed sixth in the women's softball tournament.
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