Yukiko Ueno

{{Infobox baseball biography

| image = Yukiko Ueno.jpg

| name = Yukiko Ueno

| position = Pitcher

| team = Bic Camera Takasaki Bee Queen

| number = 7

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|07|22|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Fukuoka, Japan

|medaltemplates=

{{MedalCountry | {{JPN}} }}

}}

{{nihongo|Yukiko Ueno|上野由岐子|Ueno Yukiko|born July 22, 1982 in Fukuoka City}} is a Japanese professional softball pitcher for Bic Camera Takasaki Bee Queen and Japan women's national softball team.[https://jsl-women.com/softball2022/wowcollection/y_ueno.html {{nihongo2|上野由岐子 Wow!Collection SPRING/SUMMER 2021 ~Wow!な発見盛りだくさん！注目選手を深堀りする『超選手名鑑』?}}] (in Japanese). Japan Softball League. Retrieved July 31, 2021. She won a bronze and two gold medals from the 2004, 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics, respectively. She became the first pitcher ever to throw a perfect game at the Olympics, against China in Athens.ABC [http://www.abc.net.au/olympics/2008/sports/softball/contenders.htm "Beijing 2008 Softball"] With a fastball that tops out at 128 km/h (80 mph), she is widely recognized as the fastest pitcher in women's softball, although her signature pitch is her change-up, which is often cited as the best in the world.Softball Australia [http://www.softball.org.au/?Page=28264 "Aussie Spirit go down to Japan in Canada Cup Final"]

Career

=2006=

In 2006, World Women's Softball Championship in Beijing, she shut out the U.S. team in the semifinal, but lost the final against the same U.S. team.

=Perseverance at the 2008 Olympics=

In the 2008 Summer Olympics, she again lost to the U.S. in the playoff allowing four runs in the tiebreak ninth inning, after shutting out the opponent until the previous inning. Yet, she won the final against the same U.S. by pitching her fifth complete game, allowing only one run in seven innings.{{cite web |url=http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Team-USA/History/Women/2008/Olympic-Games/Olympic-Games-Box-Scores/Game-Eight-US-vs-Japan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302034758/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Team-USA/History/Women/2008/Olympic-Games/Olympic-Games-Box-Scores/Game-Eight-US-vs-Japan |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 2, 2014 |title=Game Eight US vs Japan |location=Teamusa.org |date= |accessdate=2021-07-27}}

She threw over 600 pitches at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in 4 days (413 in the last two days during which she completed three games, two of which went extra innings). During the semi-final and final games of the softball event, which lasted for two days and included three games, Ueno pitched 28 innings against the United States and Australia, considered the two best lineups in the world. NBC commentator Rob Baird described Ueno's feat as "one of the most amazing pitching performances in recent memory."

=2020 Olympics=

Ueno again joined Team Japan at the postponed 2020 Olympics in 2021. She went 2-0 for the team, allowing three earned runs, 13 hits, 6 walks and struck out 26 batters for a 0.95 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. She pitched 6 innings against the US in the gold medal game, along with teammate Miu Goto to shutout the Americans 2–0 on July 27, 2021. She became the first non-American pitcher to win and hold two gold medals in the Olympics for softball.{{cite web |url=https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/schedule-and-results/box-score/6289 |title=JPN 2, USA 0 |location=Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org |date=2021-07-27 |accessdate=2021-07-27}}{{cite web |url=https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/teams/JPN/players/74539 |title=Ueno |location= Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org |date=2021-07-27 |accessdate=2021-07-27}}

Popular culture

The pronunciation of Ueno's surname was brought to the attention of comedy duo Hamish & Andy during the Olympics. This was due to the name being very similar to a stereotypical Australian or Strine nickname for Wayne, 'Wayno'. It also is pronounced exactly the same way to national baseball pitcher, Wayne Ough.

The segment was included on their compilation album Unessential Listening.

Notes

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080901165753/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/224506.shtml Beijing 2008 Athlete Biography: UENO Yukiko]
[http://www.s-move.jp/item_10891.html] {{in lang|ja}}

Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:Japanese softball players

Category:Olympic softball players for Japan

Category:Softball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:Softball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Category:Softball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Japan

Category:Olympic gold medalists for Japan

Category:Sportspeople from Fukuoka (city)

Category:Olympic medalists in softball

Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics