WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals: Japan hold world champion and Olympic titles together for first time

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07:25

As the sell-put crowd in Castions di Strada, Italy saluted Japan as the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/home">WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup 2023/2024</a> champions, after the No. 3 side in the world beat world No. 1 and 12-time champions USA <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/2024-women-softball-world-cup-final-usa-japan">in the final on Saturday</a>, it was also a celebration of breaking new ground for coach Reika Utsugi and her star team.

Not only did Japan claim their fourth title, but the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions also hold the World Champions title together simultaneously, a feat only USA had previously achieved from 1994 to 2006.

And while there is another WBSC Women's Softball World Cup tournament to look forward to, Utsugi already has her eyes on more Olympic glory at LA28.

"We are concentrating on the Los Angeles 2028 Games," Utsugi said. "This victory will encourage the whole [Japanese] softball community to work even harder. We have a lot of young players on the roster. This world title will give them a lot of confidence."

Saturday's triumph, which saw pitching legend <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/2024-women-softball-world-cup-finals-mvp-all-world-team">Yukiko Ueno walk away with MVP honours</a>, adds to Japan's impressive tally of World Cup medals, having previously won in 2014, 2012 and 1970. Their record now stands at four gold, seven silver, and two bronze medals.

For USA, this loss represents their fifth silver medal in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup. Despite being the most decorated team in the tournament's history with 12 gold medals, this final marked the first time they lost a World Cup final since 2014. USA, who have only missed out on the World Cup final once in 1982, and Japan have faced off in the last nine gold medal games, with USA winning six (2002, 2006, 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2022) and Japan securing three victories (2012, 2014, 2024). USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are the sole winners of the Women’s Softball World Cup to date.

Meanwhile, Canada secured the bronze medal in a <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/2024-women-softball-world-cup-bronze-medal-game-canada-netherlands">dramatic 11-inning game</a> against the Netherlands, who were aiming to become the first European team to step onto the podium. This marked Canada’s fourth bronze medal in the Women’s Softball World Cup, adding to their three previous third-place finishes, as well as a silver medal in 1978.

Canada now rank fourth in overall medals won, behind USA (17), Japan (13) and Australia (8). It's also the fourth time - in 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2024 - in the tournament's 59-year history that the podium has featured Japan, USA, and Canada together in that order while it also mirrored the same podium from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which saw Japan defend their Beijing 2008 title and Canada win their first Olympic Games softball medal.

So a current rich vein of form for Japan, which is turning heads around the world, but eyes are also starting to look towards the LA28 Olympic Games to see if Japan makes it a third Olympic title in a row or if USA can restore order on home soil.

WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals: Japan hold world champion and Olympic titles together for first time

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