Yukiko Ueno knows she and her teammates have a steep mountain to climb in their gold medal quest. And the Beijing Olympics will provide one last chance to conquer it.
Japan's campaign to dethrone the mighty U.S. team and win its first Olympic gold once again rests with the pitching performance of the 26-year-old Ueno, dubbed the "Orient Express" for her dazzling fastball.
"The Americans are the team to beat and I know even if I throw a 120-kph fastball, we can't win unless I keep them from scoring," Ueno said, referring to the importance of a change in pace in order to shut down the potent U.S. offense in Beijing.