Rather than the usual four years, Japan's softball team had to wait for 13 years to go by before getting a chance to defend its gold from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but Tuesday's final was worth the wait.
Behind splendid pitching and sparkling defense, the host country shutout perennial powerhouse the United States 2-0 at Yokohama Stadium to win the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Yukiko Ueno, 39, started opposite Cat Osterman, 38, a rematch of the same starting pitchers from that 2008 gold medal game. In Japan this time, the pressure on Ueno was an order of magnitude greater.
"I was carrying the weight of the final game on my shoulders," Ueno said. "My thinking was that I will pitch until I can't throw the ball."
After finishing the opening round with a 4-1 record, Japan was the away team for the final, with the then undefeated Americans designated the home team.
Japan opened the scoring in the top of the fourth. After Yamato Fujita singled to right center and was bunted over to second, she reached third on a ground out. Mana Atsumi then grounded to second but beat the throw, allowing Fujita to score.
Another clutch hit added an insurance run for Japan the very next inning. With two outs, Yu Yamamoto singled to center, moved to second on a wild pitch, then Fujita drove her in with a single to right field.
Having allowed only one hit through the first five frames, Ueno started the bottom of the sixth and gave up a hit to Michelle Moultrie on the very first pitch she threw in the inning.
Japan manager Reika Utsugi then pulled Ueno and called on 20-year-old rising star Miu Goto to protect the two-run lead. The southpaw struck out the first batter she faced, before allowing a single that got through the infield into center. With runners on first and second with one out, Amanda Chidester smoked a 2-2 pitch to third that caromed off third baseman Yu Yamamoto's wrist. The ball was snatched out of the air by shortstop Atsumi, who threw to second to double up Moultrie for an incredible double play and ending the inning.
"When I saw Goto pitching with her face all pale, it inspired me want to close out the game," Ueno said.
After Fujita was robbed of a two-run homer by a leaping Janie Reed in left field to end the top of the seventh, Ueno re-entered the game in the bottom of the final inning.
She retired the side in order, getting Delaney Spaulding to pop out to catcher in foul territory to seal the gold.
Utsugi, 58, who won the silver in softball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and played with Ueno when Japan took home the bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics, hugged Ueno tightly after the match. The manager was sobbing and Ueno, who had been smiling, broke down into tears as well. The players then tossed Utsugi into the air three times in celebration.
At the 2008 Beijing Games, Japan won its first gold medal in softball through Ueno's formidable pitching. That was the last Olympics for softball until the Tokyo Games, but it won't return as a sport for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"Children have already drifted away from softball," Utsugi had said. "That's the reality."
In the run-up to the Tokyo Games, the manager wanted Ueno to be the pillar of the Olympic team and the key to the future of softball in Japan.
Utsugi and Ueno have had a close relationship as master and pupil for a long time, so Utsugi encouraged her when she saw that her motivation was fading. She also allowed Ueno to make personal adjustments during the national team's training camp and helped her manage her physical condition.
"If someone criticizes that, I will take full responsibility," Utsugi had said.
"Unlike winning the gold in Beijing, I felt pressured to win as it was held in our home country," Ueno said. "I was happy to be able to return the favor to manager Reika."
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