Japan's most celebrated softball player — the heroine of the 2008 Beijing Olympics who pitched 413 pitches across three consecutive days to guide Japan to the gold medal, including a victory over the United States in the final.
Yukiko Ueno was born in Osaka, Japan in 1979. She is the cornerstone of Japanese softball's greatest era — winning Olympic gold at Beijing 2008 and at Tokyo 2020. She was named the Most Valuable Pitcher at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after pitching three complete games in four days, including two against the USA, to deliver Japan's historic gold medal — arguably the greatest individual pitching performance in Olympic softball history. She won the World Softball Championship with Japan. She played professionally in Japan's women's softball league for Toyota throughout her career. She is the most celebrated softball player in Japanese history and a national sporting icon.
Olympic Gold 2008 (413 pitches in 3 days)
Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 2008 (413 pitches in 3 days)
- Olympic Gold 2020 (Tokyo)
- World Softball Championship x3 (Japan)