PAN AM SOFTBALL COMPLETE
2007-07-30

The softball competition at the Pan American Games was supposed to wrap up two days ago with Venezuela taking on Canada, followed by the winner of that game playing Team USA in the gold medal game. (The Venezuela-Canada loser would have received the bronze medal.) However, bad weather resulted in unsuitable playing conditions, canceling the final games.

The Americans were awarded the gold medals based on their having been unbeaten to that point. Canada and Venezuela were each given silver medals.

International Softball Federation (ISF) President Don Porter was at the competition last week in Rio de Janeiro. “Unfortunately, the weather really took its toll on our competition,” the ISF President said. “This, of course, is about the only factor beyond our control, and the organizers responded by doing the right thing in awarding the medals in that way.”

One week ago, a violent windstorm had caused damage to the stadium, cancelling all of the originally scheduled Day 1 games. Rain then washed out all of the games the next day, forcing the tournament schedule to be changed to a two-pool, round robin format. All teams were able to complete their round-robin schedule, and quarter-final & semi-final games were also played on Friday.

Back in 2002 at the Asian Games in Korea, weather prohibited the softball competition from finishing as scheduled. Otherwise, one would probably have to look as far back as the 1976 ISF Men’s World Championship in New Zealand for a major event where rain washed out the remainder of the playoffs.

This year marks the first time that Venezuela has had a medal finish at the Pan American Games, where softball has been on the programme since 1979.

Other participants in this year’s (women’s fast pitch) competition were Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.