Tanya Harding threw a four-hit shutout as Japan suffered a 3-0 defeat to Australia on Sunday and was forced to settle for a bronze medal in softball at the Athens Olympics.
The Japanese, who were hoping to go one better than their silver medal finish at the Sydney Games in 2000, lost to the Australians for the second time in the tournament in a match that put the winner into the final, handing the loser the bronze.
"The players did their best and I don't blame them. I take all the responsibility for what happened today," said Japan head coach Taeko Utsugi, who led a team considered one of the gold medal favorites.
"We've been practicing with the assumption that we'd meet the United States in the final. I wish I could've given (Yukiko) Ueno another opportunity to pitch," she said of the right-hander, who pitched the first-ever perfect game in Olympic softball history in a game against China on Friday.