Golden Girl

COLUMBUS, Georgia: Dot Richardson sliced up the Chinese softball team with the precision of the surgeon she is, leading the U.S. to a 3-1 victory in the gold medal game. Richardson, an orthopedic surgeon in her spare time, went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and turned some nifty plays in the field to boost her team to the first softball gold medal. Michelle Granger allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings before turning the game over to Lisa Fernandez, who retired the final four batters in order. The powerhouse U.S. softball team has compiled a 118-2 record over the past decade, but the aura of invincibility had begun to wear off as the Americans had scored only five runs in the past three games. But Richardson's fourth-inning homer turned the tide and sent the U.S. to victory. -->