Loss cuts deeper for Canadian softballers

By Steve Keating

BEIJING (Reuters) - Fourth places finishes sting in every Olympic event.

But the pain cut a little deeper for Canada's softball team after a 5-3 loss to Australia on Wednesday, as they failed to reach the bronze medal game, gone forever their chance at Olympic glory.

With softball set to be dropped from the Olympic program after the Beijing Games, Thursday's medals will be the last handed out at a Summer Games unless the sport wins its fight for reinstatement in 2016.

Even if softball does return to the Olympic fold in eight years most of the players who took part in Beijing will have long retired, making coveted Olympic medals even more precious.

"It's tough to get this close to a medal," said Canadian first baseman Sheena Lawrick. "You work four years ... but I'm proud to be a part of this team."

The Canadians struggled to hold back their tears as it hit home that their sport, in one more day, would no longer be part of the Olympics.

"We haven't dealt with yet, but we'll probably have to deal with that now," said Canadian pitcher Lauren Bay Regula. "We've been so focused on just being at the Olympics.

"It (playing in the Olympics) has meant everything to me, everything."

Canadian coach Lori Sippel said she hoped the younger members of her team would decide to remain with the program even without the Olympics.

"It's a bitter-sweet moment," said Sippel. "With the youth on this team, the next one (Olympics) would have been the big one.

"With this group of young ladies, they could stay for four years. But I don't know if they will be staying around for eight years.

"But I'm going to ask them to."

(Editing by Alison Williams)