Dot Richardson

At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Richardson hit the first softball home run ever in the Games. In the gold medal game against China, Richardson whacked a tworun homer that put the U.S. ahead 2-0 en route to a 3-1 victory. She hit three homers and drove in seven runs in nine Olympic games, and batted .273 (9-for-33). The outgoing Richardson became a media darling; her picture was splashed across newspapers and television broadcasts, which showed her at the medal ceremony, joyously weeping during the national anthem.

Richardson again represented the U.S. at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In the gold medal game, Richardson hit a sixth-inning, bases-empty homer and Lori Harrigan pitched the first Olympic no-hitter ever as the Americans defeated Canada, 6-0.

Richardson's Olympic performance brought more respect to women's softball. Broadcaster and author Bob Costas noted in the foreword to her memoir that Richardson helped the sport's audience grow because her pure love for the sport stood out.