Every game.

Five tournaments, fourteen nations

Gold, silver and bronze at every Games since softball's first, and where each tournament was played. The Games keep the year of their name, so Tokyo's, named for 2020, were played in 2021.

Atlanta, 1996

Softball's first Olympic tournament was played in Columbus, Georgia, as part of the Atlanta Games. Eight nations played a round robin, and the top four went on to a page playoff for the medals.

The United States lost one game, 2 to 1 to Australia in 10 innings on July 26, and won the other eight. It beat China 1 to 0 in 10 innings in the semifinal and 3 to 1 in the gold medal game on July 30, after China had beaten Australia 4 to 2 in the bronze medal game earlier the same day.

The final standings, first to eighth, were the United States, China, Australia, Japan, Canada, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico.

The medal games

• Gold
  United States 3, China 1

  July 30, the gold medal game. Winning pitcher Michele Granger, losing pitcher Liu Yaju.
• Bronze
  China 4, Australia 2

  July 30, the bronze medal game. China went on to the gold medal game and Australia took the bronze. Winning pitcher Wang Lihong, losing pitcher Melanie Roche.

Teams and scores from Olympedia and the Official Report of the 1996 Games, volume 3; dates from Olympedia and the Columbus State University archive's game folders. The Official Report prints no game times, so the table carries none; Olympedia's times are in the data's notes. Each game's number opens its page on Olympedia. Times are local. A time marked start is the one the results book prints; the rest are the starts as scheduled.

Sydney, 2000

Eight nations played at the Softball Centre in Blacktown, west of Sydney, in the same format, a round robin and then a page playoff for the top four.

The United States lost three games in a row in extra innings, 2 to 1 to Japan in 11 innings, 2 to 0 to China in 14 and 2 to 1 to Australia in 13, and finished the round robin fourth. It won its next five games, the last 2 to 1 over Japan in eight innings for the gold on September 26.

Japan won all seven of its round-robin games. The 14-inning game between China and the United States on September 20 is the longest in the record.

The final standings, first to eighth, were the United States, Japan, Australia, China, Italy, New Zealand, Cuba and Canada.

The medal games

• Gold
  United States 2, Japan 1

  September 26, 8 innings, the gold medal game. Winning pitcher Lisa Fernandez, losing pitcher Juri Takayama.
• Bronze
  United States 1, Australia 0

  September 25, the bronze medal game. The United States went on to the gold medal game and Australia took the bronze. Winning pitcher Lisa Fernandez, losing pitcher Kelly Hardie.

Every game from Olympedia and the Sydney 2000 Official Results Book, and the scheduled times from that book's competition schedule. Each game's number opens its page on Olympedia. Times are local. A time marked start is the one the results book prints; the rest are the starts as scheduled.

Athens, 2004

Eight nations played at the Olympic Softball Stadium in the Hellinikon Olympic Complex, a round robin and then a page playoff for the top four.

The United States won all nine of its games and allowed one run, 51 to 1 across the tournament. Its seven round-robin opponents did not score.

Australia beat Japan 3 to 0 in the bronze medal game on August 22 for its place in the gold medal game, which the United States won 5 to 1 on August 23.

The final standings, first to eighth, were the United States, Australia, Japan, China, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Greece and Italy.

The medal games

• Gold
  United States 5, Australia 1

  August 23, the gold medal game. Winning pitcher Lisa Fernandez, losing pitcher Tanya Harding.
• Bronze
  Australia 3, Japan 0

  August 22, the bronze medal game. Australia went on to the gold medal game and Japan took the bronze. Winning pitcher Tanya Harding, losing pitcher Juri Takayama.

Every game from Olympedia and the Athens 2004 Official Results Book. For the last two games the two sources print each other's date; the record carries the results book's, under which the bronze medal game was played first, as the page playoff requires. The times are the starts the results book prints, which keep to the day's schedule but for three games that began late after a long morning game; two of those (games 10 and 30) show the noon slot USA Softball announced, and game 14, whose slot rests on press alone, shows the book's start, marked. Each game's number opens its page on Olympedia. Times are local. A time marked start is the one the results book prints; the rest are the starts as scheduled.

Beijing, 2008

Eight nations played at the Fengtai Softball Field, a round robin and then a page playoff for the top four, at the last Olympic softball for thirteen years.

The United States won its seven round-robin games by a combined 53 to 1 and beat Japan 4 to 1 in nine innings in the semifinal, its 22nd straight win at the Games since September 2000.

Japan came back the same day through the bronze medal game, beating Australia 4 to 3 in 12 innings, and beat the United States 3 to 1 for the gold on August 21. Yukiko Ueno pitched all three of Japan's medal-round games, 28 innings in two days, by WBSC's account.

The final standings, first to eighth, were Japan, the United States, Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, China, Venezuela and the Netherlands.

The medal games

• Gold
  Japan 3, United States 1

  August 21, the gold medal game. Winning pitcher Yukiko Ueno, losing pitcher Cat Osterman.
• Bronze
  Japan 4, Australia 3

  August 20, 12 innings, the bronze medal game. Japan went on to the gold medal game and Australia took the bronze. Winning pitcher Yukiko Ueno, losing pitcher Tanya Harding.

Every game from Olympedia and the Beijing 2008 Official Results Book. Game 10 began on August 14, was suspended by rain and was completed on August 15, the date both sources print, at a time set the day before. The times are the starts both sources print, which keep to the day's schedule but for games 11 and 12, which began late after the rain; their slots before play rest on press alone, so they show the book's start, marked. Each game's number opens its page on Olympedia. Times are local. A time marked start is the one the results book prints; the rest are the starts as scheduled.

Off the program

Softball left the program after Beijing and missed three Games, London in 2012, Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Paris in 2024. These are the decisions that took it out and brought it back.

• 2005
  Voted off for 2012

  At its 117th Session, in Singapore in July 2005, the IOC set the program for the 2012 Games. Softball and baseball did not receive the absolute majority required to stay. Softball's vote ended in a 52 to 52 tie, with one member abstaining.

  IOC Interim Report 2005 to 2006, page 14; WBSC softball timeline
• 2006
  The 2012 program confirmed

  At its 118th Session, in Turin in February 2006, the IOC confirmed the 2012 program and declined, 47 to 43, to vote on softball again.

  IOC Interim Report 2005 to 2006, page 14; WBSC softball timeline
• 2009
  Not chosen for 2016

  Seven sports, softball among them, sought a place in 2016. The IOC's Executive Board recommended golf and rugby sevens in August, and the 121st Session, in Copenhagen, voted both in on October 9.

  IOC, October 9, 2009; the IOC's release of August 13, 2009, as reproduced by the International Golf Federation
• 2013
  Not chosen for 2020

  A joint baseball and softball bid reached the final three for the 2020 Games and lost to wrestling at the 125th Session, in Buenos Aires, in September 2013.

  IOC, May 2013; the IOC's release of September 8, 2013, as reproduced by USA Wrestling
• 2016
  Added for Tokyo

  On August 3, 2016, at its 129th Session, in Rio de Janeiro, the IOC added baseball and softball, with karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, to the Tokyo Games.

  IOC; WBSC, Tokyo 2020 media guide
• 2020
  Not on the Paris program

  The program for Paris in 2024, confirmed in December 2020, did not include softball. Baseball and softball had campaigned for a place, and the four sports Paris proposed and the IOC added were breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.

  IOC, June 2019 and December 7, 2020
• 2023
  Added for 2028

  On October 16, 2023, at its 141st Session, in Mumbai, the IOC added baseball and softball, with cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash, to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

  IOC; WBSC, October 19, 2023

Tokyo, 2020

Softball returned for the first time since 2008. Six nations played a single round robin, and the top two played for the gold and the next two for the bronze.

The United States won all five of its round-robin games. Japan beat it 2 to 0 for the gold on July 27, and Canada beat Mexico 3 to 2 for the bronze, its first Olympic medal in softball. Yukiko Ueno was the winning pitcher in both of Japan's gold medal games, in 2008 and in 2021.

The final standings, first to sixth, were Japan, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Italy.

The medal games

• Gold
  Japan 2, United States 0

  July 27, the gold medal game. Winning pitcher Yukiko Ueno, losing pitcher Ally Carda.
• Bronze
  Canada 3, Mexico 2

  July 27, the bronze medal game. Winning pitcher Danielle Lawrie, losing pitcher Danielle O'Toole.

Every game from the Tokyo 2020 Results Book, the organizing committee's own, and the reports of WBSC, the sport's world governing body, with Olympedia beside them; the times are the starts the Results Book prints, the same as WBSC's media guide of June 2021 scheduled them. Each game's number opens its page on Olympedia. Times are local. A time marked start is the one the results book prints; the rest are the starts as scheduled.

Los Angeles, 2028

Softball is on the program of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, with the tournament played in Oklahoma City. As of October 2026, this is its structure; the teams are decided through 2027 and early 2028.

Six places

• 01
  The host

  The United States, as host country of the 2028 Games.
• 02
  World Cup Finals

  The highest placed team at the Women's Softball World Cup Finals in April 2027.
• 03
  Asia and Oceania

  The highest placed team at the continental qualifier in 2027.
• 04
  Europe and Africa

  The highest placed team at the continental qualifier in 2027.
• 05
  The Americas

  The highest placed team at the continental qualifier in 2027.
• 06
  Final qualification

  The highest placed team at a final event, no later than March 2028, among the second and third placed teams of the three continental qualifiers.

The park is home to the NCAA Women's College World Series. The 2028 tournament will be the first Olympic softball played in the United States since Columbus in 1996.

As of October 19, 2026. The venue, dates and schedule are the 2028 organizing committee's (competition schedule, version 4.0, July 29, 2026); the six places are WBSC's qualification system (versions of February 5 and May 12, 2026). Schedules can change before the Games.

Fourteen nations

Fourteen nations have played Olympic softball, 38 entries across the five tournaments. Four have played in all five, Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States.

Each number is the nation's final place at that Games. A dot means the nation did not play.

Sources

Every game here was read at the organizing committee's own results, the 1996 Official Report, the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Official Results Books and the Tokyo 2020 Results Book, and in Olympedia, in October 2026, with WBSC's reports for 2021 beside them. Where the sources differ, the data notes give both readings.

olympedia.org · 1996 Official Report · Sydney 2000 results · Athens 2004 results · Beijing 2008 results · Columbus State archive · Tokyo 2020 Results Book · WBSC media guide, 2021 · WBSC timeline · WBSC qualification, 2028 · IOC report, 2005 to 2006 · 2028 competition schedule (version 4.0)

The record is open data under CC0 1.0, every game in the same file this page is built from, as games.json, games.csv and nations.csv.

fastpitch.dev is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Olympic Committee, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the 2028 organizing committee, WBSC or USA Softball. The Games are named here only to identify them.

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