Beijing2008/Cat Osterman

Softball United States Age: 25

Osterman's ERA in Athens, where the U.S. softball team won gold: 0.00. At the '07 World Cup, where she went 2-0 for another title team: 0.00. And that's softball's problem: Americans like Cat are just too good. The IOC dropped softball from the 2012 Olympics in London due to lack of interest outside the Americas and Asia. Overwhelming American dominance didn't help (the U.S. has won all three gold medals since the sport made the Olympics in 1996. It outscored its Athens opponents 51-1). Although softball could make it back for '16, it's a bittersweet time for Osterman, the left-handed ace of the Beijing-bound pitching staff. "If we get penalized for our excellence," she says, "there's something wrong with the Olympic Games."

美国女垒在雅典夺金时，奥斯特曼的投手责任得分率（译者：ERA,又称自责分率，衡量投手让对方队员上垒的数据－－越低越好。）是 0.00。在07年世界杯她率美国队再度捧杯时（这个2-0比较费解），她的投手责任得分率还是0.00。这就是垒球运动最大的问题：象凯特这样的美国选手太强悍了。国际奥委会决定2010年伦敦奥运会不再设垒球项目，因为在美洲和亚洲以外，人们已经对这项运动失去了兴趣。而美国队在这一运动中的独霸地位只能帮倒忙（自1996年该运动进入奥运会以来美国队包揽了全部三届的金牌。雅典奥运会上美国队的得失分比是51：1）。虽然2016年女垒项目可能再度进入奥运会，但对于北京奥运美国代表队的王牌左投手奥斯特曼来说这次参赛真是别有一番滋味。“如果我们因为优秀而受到惩罚的话”她这样慨叹“那奥林匹克运动确实有些问题了。”