Japanese · Osaka, Japan · Born 22 July 1982Japanese softball pitcher who led Japan to two Olympic gold medals, famous for her incredible endurance and pitching 413 times in 3 days at Beijing 2008.
Yukiko Ueno threw 413 pitches across three days at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a workload that would be unthinkable in almost any other pitching sport and that remains one of the most extreme single-tournament efforts in softball history. She capped it by beating the United States in the gold medal game, ending the American program's run of Olympic dominance in the sport. Her fastball topped out at 128 km/h, among the fastest ever recorded in the women's game, paired with a change-up that opposing hitters and commentators alike have separately described as the best of its era -- a combination of raw velocity and deception that's rare even among elite pitchers. Ueno's Olympic debut came in 2004 at just 22, and she was still competing at an elite international level well into her Tokyo 2020 gold medal run 16 years later -- a competitive span long enough to have out-lasted entire national programs' worth of rival pitchers who came up against her and retired before she did.
Dominant pitching performances in Olympic Games and her incredible stamina
How They Played
Right-handed pitcher known for powerful fastball, excellent control, and exceptional endurance
Lasting Impact
Considered one of the greatest softball pitchers of all time and a national hero in Japan
Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 2008, 2020
- Olympic Bronze 2004
- 413 pitches in 3 days (2008)
- 2x World Championship gold (2012, 2014)
| Team | Period | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Red Terrace | 2001–2004 | — |
| Renesas High-tech | 2005–2010 | — |
| Bic Camera Takasaki | 2011–2020 | — |
Japanese Athletes