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Softball, Women

Date21 – 30 July 1996
StatusOlympic
LocationGolden Ball Park, Columbus, Georgia
Participants120 from 8 countries
FormatRound-robin tournament, with the top four teams progressing to the semi-finals.

World championships in softball for women were first held in 1966, but it took another 30 years for the sport to make the Olympic program. With the Olympics in Atlanta, the United States had home-field advantage, although they hardly needed it, having won 106 consecutive games internationally from 1986-1995, and all but one World Championship dating back to 1970. The consecutive game streak ended when a Chinese team defeated them in a preliminary game at the Superball Classic. The Olympic tournament came down to the same two teams, China facing the United States for the gold medal. The USA won, 3-1, but not without controversy. In the 3rd inning, the Chinese tried a double steal with runners on 1st and 3rd. The umpire called Zhang Chunfang out at home plate, though the call was very close. In the bottom of the inning, shortstop Dot Richardson hit a two-run homer that sliced down the right-field line. The Chinese manager, Li Minkuan, protested for 10 minutes that the ball was foul, but replays confirmed the umpire’s call.

PosTeamNOC
1United StatesUSAGold
Laura Berg
Gillian Boxx
Sheila Cornell-Douty
Lisa Fernandez
Michele Granger
Lori Harrigan
Dionna Harris
Kim Maher
Leah O'Brien-Amico
Dot Richardson
Julie Smith
Michele Smith
Shelly Stokes
Dani Tyler
Christa Williams
CoachRalph Raymond
2People's Republic of ChinaCHNSilver
An Zhongxin
Chen Hong
He Liping
Lei Li
Liu Xuqing
Liu Yaju
Ma Ying
Ou Jingbai
Tao Hua
Wang Lihong
Wang Ying
Wei Qiang
Xu Jian
Yan Fang
Zhang Chunfang
CoachLi Minkuan
3AustraliaAUSBronze
Jo Brown
Kim Cooper
Carolyn Crudgington
Kerry Dienelt
Peta Edebone
Tanya Harding
Jenny Holliday
Joyce Lester
Sally McDermid-McCreedy
Francine McRae
Haylea Petrie
Nicole Richardson
Melanie Roche
Natalie Ward
Brooke Wilkins
CoachBob Crudgington
4JapanJPN
Misako Ando
Yoshiko Fujimoto
Ikuko Fukita
Noriko Harada
Mayumi Inoue
Chika Kodama
Kyoko Kobayashi
Naomi Matsumoto
Kyoko Mochida
Haruka Saito
Juri Takayama
Emi Tsukada
Masako Watanabe
Tomoko Watanabe
Noriko Yamaji
CoachMitsutoshi Suzumura
5CanadaCAN
Sandy Beasley
Juanita Clayton
Karen Doell
Carrie Flemmer
Kelly Kelland
Kara McGaw
Pauline Maurice
Candace Murray
Christine Parris
Lori Sippel
Karen Snelgrove
Debbie Sonnenberg
Alecia Stephenson
Colleen Thorburn-Smith
Carmie Vairo
CoachChick Kennedy
6Chinese TaipeiTPE
Han Hsin-Lin
Chien Pei-Chi
Chiu Chen-Ting
Chang Hsiao-Ching
Tu Hui-Ping
Yen Show-Tzu
Chung Chiung-Yao
Liu Tzu-Hsin
Ou Ching-Chieh
Liu Chia-Chi
Wang Ya-Fen
Yang Hui-Chun
Tu Hui-Mei
Chien Chen-Ju
Lee Ming-Chieh
CoachWang Cheng-Fu
7NetherlandsNED
Jacqueline de Heer
Marjolein de Jong
Penny le Noble
Marlies van der Putten
Madelon Beek
Petra Beek
Lucienne Geels
Jacqueline Knol
Anita Kossen
Anouk Mels
Sandra Nieuwveen
Corrine Ockhuijsen
Sonja Pannen
Gonny Reijnen
Martine Stiemer
CoachRudolf Elfers
8Puerto RicoPUR
Lourdes Báez
Sheree Corniel
Ivelisse Echevarría
María González
Elba Lebrón
Lisa Martínez
Aída Miranda
Lisa Mize
Jacqueline Ortiz
Janice Parks
Penelope Rosario
Sandra Rosario
Myriam Segarra
Eve Soto
Clara Vázquez
CoachJosé Agosto

Round-Robin

Date21 – 27 July 1996
FormatRound-robin pool, with the top four teams progressing to the semi-finals.
PosTeamNOCWinsLossesPointsRuns
1United StatesUSA611237-7Q
2People's Republic of ChinaCHN521029-7Q
3AustraliaAUS521022-11q
4JapanJPN521024-18q
5CanadaCAN34615-17
6Chinese TaipeiTPE25419-19
7NetherlandsNED1624-32
8Puerto RicoPUR1625-44
MatchDate/TimeTeamNOCResultTeamNOC
Game #121 Jul 9:00United StatesUSA10 – 0Puerto RicoPUR6-inning mercy rule
Game #221 Jul 11:30CanadaCAN2 – 1Chinese TaipeiTPE10-innings
Game #321 Jul 18:30People's Republic of ChinaCHN6 – 0AustraliaAUS
Game #421 Jul 21:00JapanJPN3 – 0NetherlandsNED
Game #522 Jul 9:00AustraliaAUS4 – 0Chinese TaipeiTPE
Game #622 Jul 11:30JapanJPN3 – 0People's Republic of ChinaCHN
Game #722 Jul 18:30CanadaCAN4 – 0Puerto RicoPUR
Game #822 Jul 21:00United StatesUSA9 – 0NetherlandsNED
Game #923 Jul 9:00People's Republic of ChinaCHN2 – 1CanadaCAN
Game #1023 Jul 11:30Chinese TaipeiTPE7 – 1NetherlandsNED
Game #1123 Jul 18:30United StatesUSA6 – 1JapanJPN
Game #1223 Jul 21:00Puerto RicoPUR2 – 0AustraliaAUS
Game #1324 Jul 9:00United StatesUSA4 – 0Chinese TaipeiTPE
Game #1424 Jul 11:30People's Republic of ChinaCHN10 – 0Puerto RicoPUR5-inning mercy rule
Game #1524 Jul 18:30AustraliaAUS1 – 0NetherlandsNED8-innings
Game #1624 Jul 21:00JapanJPN4 – 0CanadaCAN
Game #1725 Jul 9:00People's Republic of ChinaCHN8 – 0NetherlandsNED
Game #1825 Jul 11:30AustraliaAUS10 – 0JapanJPN
Game #1925 Jul 18:30Chinese TaipeiTPE10 – 2Puerto RicoPUR
Game #2025 Jul 21:00United StatesUSA4 – 2CanadaCAN
Game #2126 Jul 9:00JapanJPN8 – 1Puerto RicoPUR
Game #2226 Jul 11:30AustraliaAUS2 – 1United StatesUSA10-innings
Game #2326 Jul 18:30CanadaCAN4 – 1NetherlandsNED
Game #2426 Jul 21:00People's Republic of ChinaCHN1 – 0Chinese TaipeiTPE
Game #2527 Jul 9:00AustraliaAUS5 – 2CanadaCAN
Game #2627 Jul 11:30NetherlandsNED2 – 0Puerto RicoPUR
Game #2727 Jul 18:30United StatesUSA3 – 2People's Republic of ChinaCHN
Game #2827 Jul 21:00JapanJPN5 – 1Chinese TaipeiTPE

Semi-Finals

Date29 July 1996
FormatWinner of the match between the first and second place of the round-robin phase advanced to the Grand Final, the loser advanced to the Final against the winner of the other semi-final.
MatchDate/TimeCompetitorsNOCResultCompetitorsNOC
Game #129 Jul 18:30United StatesUSA1 – 0People's Republic of ChinaCHN13-innings
Game #229 Jul 21:00AustraliaAUS3 – 0JapanJPN

Final Round

Date30 July 1996
FormatWinner of the Final advanced to the Grand Final.
MatchDate/TimeCompetitorsNOCResultCompetitorsNOC
Grand Final30 Jul 19:00United StatesUSA3 – 1People's Republic of ChinaCHN
Final30 Jul 16:30People's Republic of ChinaCHN4 – 2AustraliaAUS