Great Britain's softball team are slugging it out with the best and showcasing their phenomenal progress at the Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier in the Netherlands.
The International Olympic Committee announced in August 2016 that softball would return to the programme for next summer’s Games in Tokyo.
Having finished bottom of the pile at the 2014 World Championships, Rachael Watkeys’ side now sit a record 12th in the world rankings and are in the hunt for an Olympic place.
Britain have opened with clinical back-to-back victories in this week’s Olympic qualifier in Utrecht, where a single spot in Japan is up for grabs.
Successive wins over lower-ranked opponents were in the script but a nervy start against the Spain was only overcome by starring roles from Amie Hutchinson and Nerissa Myers.
And South Africa were dispatched 15-0 inside three innings, sealing Britain’s progress into the four-team Super Round where Olympic destiny will be decided.
Watkeys’ outfit face a defining contest against hosts Netherlands on Thursday evening, the result of which carries over into the Super Round where only the top-ranked team prevails.
Netherlands and Italy have dominated European softball since the 1980s, winning every European Championship and Olympic Qualifier ever played.
The fact Britain are viewed as the closest nation to snapping this streak is a testament to the progress they’ve made in recent years.
European bronze medals in 2017 and 2019, alongside improved World Championship returns in 2016 and 2018, have all been markers of exponential improvement.