įive nations have won medals in softball at the Olympics the United States, China, Australia, Japan, and Canada. Softball and baseball were reinstated together on a one-time basis at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Ultimately the IOC voted to fill the two available slots for 2016 with rugby and golf. IOC President Jacques Rogge said they were 'looking for an added value – wide appeal, especially for young people'. 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. 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. 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. Appeals to reinstate both sports for 2012 were rejected. 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. In 2004, the IOC investigated the addition of sports to the Olympic schedule including golf, rugby sevens, squash, roller sports, and karate. 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. In the 2000 tournament, the United States won their second consecutive gold medal, although they lost three games in the preliminary round at the Sydney Games. The Chinese team won their only Olympic medal in softball, a silver, in 1996. The Americans lost one game in the tournament, outscoring their opponents by a combined 41 runs to 8. The United States team lived up to expectations by winning the gold medal. Softball was contested at each subsequent Games through 2008, after which the IOC removed it from the Olympic program.Įntering 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. At the 97th IOC session in 1991, the sport was granted official status as a medal sport for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. On December 8, 1989, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declined to stage a softball tournament as a demonstration sport in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Softball is a sport that was formerly contested at the Summer Olympic Games. United States athlete Lisa Fernandez won gold medals in the first three Olympic softball tournaments.

Softball olympic games tokyo 2020