(We made a list. We checked it twice. From now until New Year’s Eve, we are counting down the top ten headlines of 2019. Today, we look at #8 on our list.)
8. Olympic field takes shape for 2020
It’s been eleven years since an Olympic softball game was played, a number that will round off to an even dozen by the time the 2020 Games kick off in Tokyo next summer, and this year saw the final four teams that will participate officially punch their Olympic ticket.
Host nation Japan was already part of the six-team field, while the United States qualified via their World Championship title last summer. That left four open spots, to be filled via a trio of qualifying tournaments over the course of 2019.
Participating continents (apologies to Antarctica) were paired up for each qualifying tournament: Teams from Europe & Africa faced off against one another, while Asia & Oceania’s representative nations also vied for a single Olympic berth amongst themselves. A large group of countries from North & South America faced off in a week-long tournament in Canada, with two spots in the Olympic field on the line in that qualifier, the only such event where that was the case.
By summer’s end, the Olympic field was set: Japan and the United States would be joined by Canada; Mexico; Italy; and Australia in Tokyo. This will be the first time in five Olympic softball tournaments where only six nations will participate on the diamond.
Four nations – Japan, Canada, Australia, and the United States – have participated in the Olympics every time that softball has been offered as a medal sport. 2020 will mark Team Italy’s third Olympic softball appearance, while Team Mexico will make their debut appearance on the Olympic stage when the squad officially takes the field in Tokyo.
Four teams in the top ten in the WBSC rankings did not qualify to head to Tokyo; Team Puerto Rico (ranked #4 in the world) was the highest-ranked non-participant.
A number of former collegiate all-stars are rostered by the various international Olympic softball programs. That number includes Canada’s Danielle Lawrie (Washington); Australia’s Kaia Parnaby (Hawaii); Italy’s Emily Carosone (Auburn); and Mexico’s Dallas Escobedo (Arizona State), among a host of others.
Team USA, despite having already clinched their own berth in Tokyo, also made news this year with their final roster selections for the Olympic Games. That roster includes a pair of softball legends in Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott who will officially make their return to Olympic competition.
