Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Harrigan back with more gold

Las Vegan ends career on top of the world

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Lori Harrigan arrives Monday in Las Vegas. Photo by Craig L. Moran. Lori Harrigan shows her gold medal to a friend on Monday. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

By now, Lori Harrigan has the routine down pat.

Earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic softball team. Pitch your way to the gold medal. Return to Las Vegas for a triumphant homecoming.

The former UNLV All-America pitcher traveled all day from Athens, Greece, but she arrived at McCarran International Airport Monday evening looking relaxed and with a big smile on her face as approximately 25 family, friends and co-workers greeted her with hugs, kisses, flowers and cheers.

It was the third such greeting for Harrigan. She had been a member of the gold medal-winning USA team in 1996 at Atlanta and in 2000 at Sydney, Australia.

"It's a wonderful way to end it," Harrigan said. "We met so many wonderful people. Greece is absolutely beautiful. I'd like to go back there someday and really get a chance to visit."

If and when Harrigan returns to Greece, the natives won't likely forget her. She and her teammates were the most dominant force at the recently concluded Olympics, going undefeated and giving up just one run in the gold medal game against Australia. Harrigan made three appearances for Team USA, throwing a one-hitter on Aug. 17 as the Americans shut out China, coached by Shan McDonald, Harrigan's coach at UNLV, 4-0.

"We believed we could win but I don't think we expected to dominate the way we did," Harrigan said. "It was pretty amazing."

Amazing indeed. No less amazing was that at age 33, Harrigan was still a dominant force. Her desire and willingness to put in the time, even though it meant putting in weird hours to get her throwing in because of her job as a security supervisor at Bellagio, was worth it as evidenced by the gold medal adorning her neck.

"Each has been special in its own way," she said of the three golds. "The first one was special because it was the first time softball was in the Olympics and it was in the States. The second was special because of the comeback. And this one is special because of how we dominated."

It's also a medal with considerable emotion attached to it. When USA coach Mike Candrea's wife Sue died in mid-July from a brain aneurysm, the entire team was devastated. Winning in Athens helped ease some of the burden the players shouldered along with their bereaved coach.

"She was there with us in spirit," Harrigan said. "It brought us closer together and it was very special."

For Harrigan, there will be no trip to Beijing in 2008. This unbelievable chapter of her life is closed.

"People are saying to me, 'Stay' but I'm officially retired," she said. "My goal now is to take a vacation without my softball gear."