News

TWO YEARS UNTIL SOFTBALL TAKES ON LA28

Published Tue 14 Jul 2026

Today marks just two years until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, and Softball Australia is celebrating the return of softball to the Olympic program, an exciting new chapter.

The inclusion of baseball and softball at LA28 as one of the six additional sports marks a significant milestone for athletes, fans and the wider softball community, with Australia aiming to build on one of the strongest Olympic legacies in world softball.

Australian softball has a proud history on the Olympic stage. The Australian women's national softball team, the Aussie Spirit, is one of the most successful teams in Olympic softball history. Alongside the United States, Australia is the only nation to have won medals in four of their five Olympic campaigns.

The Aussie Spirit's Olympic achievements include:

Atlanta 1996 – Bronze Medal

Sydney 2000 – Bronze Medal

Athens 2004 – Silver Medal

Beijing 2008 – Bronze Medal

After softball was removed from the Olympic program following Beijing 2008, the sport made its return for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held in 2021, with Australia finishing in fifth.

A key milestone on the journey to LA28 will be the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2027, which will be hosted at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe, Queensland, from 5–11 April 2027.

The event will offer the first ticket for softball to the LA28 Olympics, and will see the Aussie Spirit take on the other top seven nations in the world.

“With two years until LA28, we're excited to be building towards another chapter in Australia's proud Olympic softball story,” Softball Australia Chief Executive Officer Sarah Loh said.

"We are thrilled to be hosting the first Olympic Softball qualifier in the WBSC World Cup Finals in Redcliffe in April 2027.

"The return of softball to the Games presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent, passion and future of our sport on the global stage.”

The tournament will mark Queensland's first major international team event on the green and gold runway to Brisbane 2032 and will elevate the LA28 Olympic qualification pathway to a world-class major event venue.

"Having softball make its sixth appearance at the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 is a tremendous moment for our athletes, our National Federations and the entire global softball community. Australia has a remarkable Olympic legacy in our sport and continues to play a leading role in its development worldwide,” WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said.

"The WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2027 in Redcliffe will be one of the defining milestones on the Road to LA28, bringing together the world's best teams in a world-class competition just one year before the Olympic Games. We are delighted to partner with Softball Australia and the City of Moreton Bay to deliver this premier event, which will inspire athletes, engage fans and further strengthen softball's momentum as we look ahead to Los Angeles and beyond."

As the countdown clock reaches two years to go, the road to Los Angeles is officially underway, and Australian softball is ready to be back on the world's biggest sporting stage.

Media Enquiries:
Sarah Burt, Marketing and Communications Manager, Softball Australia
E: sarah.burt@softball.org.au
M: 0490 512 809