Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics

      Athletics
      at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
      Athletics 2008.png
      Pictogram for athletics at the 2008 Games
      Venue Beijing National Stadium
      Dates August 15–24
      Competitors 2,057 from 200 nations
      «2004 2012»
      Athletics at the
      2008 Summer Olympics

      Athletics pictogram.svg
      Track events
      100 m   men   women
      200 m men women
      400 m men women
      800 m men women
      1500 m men women
      5000 m men women
      10,000 m men women
      100 m hurdles women
      110 m hurdles men
      400 m hurdles men women
      3000 m
      steeplechase
      men women
      4 × 100 m relay men women
      4 × 400 m relay men women
      Road events
      Marathon men women
      20 km walk men women
      50 km walk men
      Field events
      Long jump men women
      Triple jump men women
      High jump men women
      Pole vault men women
      Shot put men women
      Discus throw men women
      Javelin throw men women
      Hammer throw men women
      Combined events
      Heptathlon women
      Decathlon men

      Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last ten days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking events.

      Both men and women had very similar schedules of events. Men competed in 24 events and women in 23, as their schedule lacked the 50 km race walk. In addition, both the men's 110 m hurdles and decathlon are reflected in the women's schedule by the 100 m hurdles and heptathlon, respectively.

      The Olympic record was broken in 17 returning events. In five events, including the inaugural women's 3000 m steeplechase, the world record was broken.

      The athletics was, alongside the Olympic cycling events, one of the few large sports programmes in which the host nation fared comparatively poorly in terms of medals won. Despite a haul of 100 medals at the games as a whole, Chinese athletes took home two bronze medals from the athletics events. The country's foremost athlete Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic champion in the 110 metres hurdles, had to withdraw after a false start due to injury.

      Medal summary

      Men

      Event Gold Silver Bronze
      100 metres
      details
       Usain Bolt
      Jamaica (JAM)
      9.69
      (WR)
       Richard Thompson
      Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
      9.89  Walter Dix
      United States (USA)
      9.91
      200 metres
      details
       Usain Bolt
      Jamaica (JAM)
      19.30
      (WR)
       Shawn Crawford
      United States (USA)
      19.96  Walter Dix
      United States (USA)
      19.98
      400 metres
      details
       LaShawn Merritt
      United States (USA)
      43.75
       Jeremy Wariner
      United States (USA)
      44.74  David Neville
      United States (USA)
      44.80
      800 metres
      details
       Wilfred Bungei
      Kenya (KEN)
      1:44.65  Ismail Ahmed Ismail
      Sudan (SUD)
      1:44.70  Alfred Kirwa Yego
      Kenya (KEN)
      1:44.82
      1500 metres
      details
       Asbel Kipruto Kiprop
      Kenya (KEN)
      3:33.11  Nicholas Willis
      New Zealand (NZL)
      3:34.16  Mehdi Baala
      France (FRA)
      3:34.21
      5000 metres
      details
       Kenenisa Bekele
      Ethiopia (ETH)
      12:57.82
      (OR)
       Eliud Kipchoge
      Kenya (KEN)
      13:02.80  Edwin Cheruiyot Soi
      Kenya (KEN)
      13:06.22
      10,000 metres
      details
       Kenenisa Bekele
      Ethiopia (ETH)
      27:01.17
      (OR)
       Sileshi Sihine
      Ethiopia (ETH)
      27:02.77  Micah Kogo
      Kenya (KEN)
      27:04.11
      110 metres hurdles
      details
       Dayron Robles
      Cuba (CUB)
      12.93  David Payne
      United States (USA)
      13.17  David Oliver
      United States (USA)
      13.18
      400 metres hurdles
      details
       Angelo Taylor
      United States (USA)
      47.25  Kerron Clement
      United States (USA)
      47.98  Bershawn Jackson
      United States (USA)
      48.06
      3000 metres steeplechase
      details
       Brimin Kiprop Kipruto
      Kenya (KEN)
      8:10.34  Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad
      France (FRA)
      8:10.49  Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong
      Kenya (KEN)
      8:11.01
      4×100 metres relay
      details
       Jamaica (JAM)
      Nesta Carter
      Michael Frater
      Usain Bolt
      Asafa Powell
      Dwight Thomas*
      37.10
      (WR)
       Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
      Keston Bledman
      Marc Burns
      Emmanuel Callender
      Richard Thompson
      Aaron Armstrong*
      38.06  Japan (JPN)
      Naoki Tsukahara
      Shingo Suetsugu
      Shinji Takahira
      Nobuharu Asahara
      38.15
      4×400 metres relay
      details
       United States (USA)
      LaShawn Merritt
      Angelo Taylor
      David Neville
      Jeremy Wariner
      Kerron Clement*
      Reggie Witherspoon*
      2:55.39
      (OR)
       Bahamas (BAH)
      Andretti Bain
      Michael Mathieu
      Andrae Williams
      Chris Brown
      Avard Moncur*
      Ramon Miller*
      2:58.03  Russia (RUS)
      Maksim Dyldin
      Vladislav Frolov
      Anton Kokorin
      Denis Alexeev
      2:58.06
      Marathon
      details
       Samuel Wanjiru
      Kenya (KEN)
      2:06:32
      (OR)
       Jaouad Gharib
      Morocco (MAR)
      2:07:16  Tsegay Kebede
      Ethiopia (ETH)
      2:10:00
      20 kilometres walk
      details
       Valeriy Borchin
      Russia (RUS)
      1:19:01  Jefferson Pérez
      Ecuador (ECU)
      1:19:15  Jared Tallent
      Australia (AUS)
      1:19:42
      50 kilometres walk
      details
       Alex Schwazer
      Italy (ITA)
      3:37:09
      (OR)
       Jared Tallent
      Australia (AUS)
      3:39:27  Denis Nizhegorodov
      Russia (RUS)
      3:40:14
      High jump
      details
       Andrey Silnov
      Russia (RUS)
      2.36 m  Germaine Mason
      Great Britain (GBR)
      2.34 m  Yaroslav Rybakov
      Russia (RUS)
      2.34 m
      Pole vault
      details
       Steven Hooker
      Australia (AUS)
      5.96 m
      (OR)
       Evgeny Lukyanenko
      Russia (RUS)
      5.85 m  Denys Yurchenko
      Ukraine (UKR)
      5.70 m
      Long jump
      details
       Irving Saladino
      Panama (PAN)
      8.34 m  Khotso Mokoena
      South Africa (RSA)
      8.24 m  Ibrahim Camejo
      Cuba (CUB)
      8.20 m
      Triple jump
      details
       Nelson Évora
      Portugal (POR)
      17.67 m  Phillips Idowu
      Great Britain (GBR)
      17.62 m  Leevan Sands
      Bahamas (BAH)
      17.59 m
      Shot put
      details
       Tomasz Majewski
      Poland (POL)
      21.51 m  Christian Cantwell
      United States (USA)
      21.09 m  Andrei Mikhnevich
      Belarus (BLR)
      21.05 m
      Discus throw
      details
       Gerd Kanter
      Estonia (EST)
      68.82 m  Piotr Małachowski
      Poland (POL)
      67.82 m  Virgilijus Alekna
      Lithuania (LTU)
      67.79 m
      Hammer throw
      details
       Primož Kozmus
      Slovenia (SLO)
      82.02 m  Vadim Devyatovskiy
      Belarus (BLR)
      81.61 m[1]  Ivan Tsikhan
      Belarus (BLR)
      81.51 m[1]
      Javelin throw
      details
       Andreas Thorkildsen
      Norway (NOR)
      90.57 m
      (OR)
       Ainārs Kovals
      Latvia (LAT)
      86.64 m  Tero Pitkämäki
      Finland (FIN)
      86.16 m
      Decathlon
      details
       Bryan Clay
      United States (USA)
      8791  Andrei Krauchanka
      Belarus (BLR)
      8551  Leonel Suárez
      Cuba (CUB)
      8527

      * Athletes who participated in the heats only and received medals.
      Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan of Belarus, who originally won silver and bronze in the hammer throw, were disqualified for doping.[1] In June 2010 the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the disqualifed Belarusians should get their original medals back due to errors at the Chinese medical lab.[1]

      Women

      Event Gold Silver Bronze
      100 metres
      details
       Shelly-Ann Fraser
      Jamaica (JAM)
      10.78  Sherone Simpson
      Jamaica (JAM)
       Kerron Stewart
      Jamaica (JAM)
      10.98
      200 metres
      details
       Veronica Campbell-Brown
      Jamaica (JAM)
      21.74  Allyson Felix
      United States (USA)
      21.93  Kerron Stewart
      Jamaica (JAM)
      22.00
      400 metres
      details
       Christine Ohuruogu
      Great Britain (GBR)
      49.62  Shericka Williams
      Jamaica (JAM)
      49.69  Sanya Richards
      United States (USA)
      49.93
      800 metres
      details
       Pamela Jelimo
      Kenya (KEN)
      1:54.87  Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei
      Kenya (KEN)
      1:56.07  Hasna Benhassi
      Morocco (MAR)
      1:56.73
      1500 metres
      details
       Nancy Jebet Lagat
      Kenya (KEN)
      4:00.23  Iryna Lishchynska
      Ukraine (UKR)
      4:01.63  Nataliya Tobias
      Ukraine (UKR)
      4:01.78
      5000 metres
      details
       Tirunesh Dibaba
      Ethiopia (ETH)
      15:41.40  Elvan Abeylegesse
      Turkey (TUR)
      15:42.74  Meseret Defar
      Ethiopia (ETH)
      15:44.12
      10,000 metres
      details
       Tirunesh Dibaba
      Ethiopia (ETH)
      29:54.66
      (OR)
       Elvan Abeylegesse
      Turkey (TUR)
      29:56.34  Shalane Flanagan
      United States (USA)
      30:22.22
      100 metres hurdles
      details
       Dawn Harper
      United States (USA)
      12.54  Sally Pearson
      Australia (AUS)
      12.64  Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
      Canada (CAN)
      12.64
      400 metres hurdles
      details
       Melaine Walker
      Jamaica (JAM)
      52.64
      (OR)
       Sheena Tosta
      United States (USA)
      53.70  Tasha Danvers
      Great Britain (GBR)
      53.84
      3000 metres steeplechase
      details
       Gulnara Galkina-Samitova
      Russia (RUS)
      8:58.81
      (WR)
       Eunice Jepkorir
      Kenya (KEN)
      9:07.41  Yekaterina Volkova
      Russia (RUS)
      9:07.64
      4×100 metres relay
      details
       Russia (RUS)
      Evgeniya Polyakova
      Aleksandra Fedoriva
      Yulia Gushchina
      Yuliya Chermoshanskaya
      42.31  Belgium (BEL)
      Olivia Borlée
      Hanna Mariën
      Élodie Ouédraogo
      Kim Gevaert
      42.54
      (NR)
       Nigeria (NGR)
      Franca Idoko
      Gloria Kemasuode
      Halimat Ismaila
      Oludamola Osayomi
      Agnes Osazuwa*
      43.04
      4×400 metres relay
      details
       United States (USA)
      Mary Wineberg
      Allyson Felix
      Monique Henderson
      Sanya Richards
      Natasha Hastings*
      3:18.54  Russia (RUS)
      Yulia Gushchina
      Lyudmila Litvinova
      Tatiana Firova
      Anastasia Kapachinskaya
      Elena Migunova*
      Tatyana Veshkurova*
      3:18.82  Jamaica (JAM)
      Shericka Williams
      Shereefa Lloyd
      Rosemarie Whyte
      Novelene Williams
      Bobby-Gaye Wilkins*
      3:20.40
      Marathon
      details
       Constantina Diṭă-Tomescu
      Romania (ROU)
      2:26:44  Catherine Ndereba
      Kenya (KEN)
      2:27:06  Zhou Chunxiu
      China (CHN)
      2:27:07
      20 kilometres walk
      details
       Olga Kaniskina
      Russia (RUS)
      1:26:31
      (OR)
       Kjersti Tysse Plätzer
      Norway (NOR)
      1:27:07  Elisa Rigaudo
      Italy (ITA)
      1:27:12
      High jump
      details
       Tia Hellebaut
      Belgium (BEL)
      2.05 m  Blanka Vlašić
      Croatia (CRO)
      2.05 m  Anna Chicherova
      Russia (RUS)
      2.03 m
      Pole vault
      details
       Yelena Isinbayeva
      Russia (RUS)
      5.05 m
      (WR)
       Jennifer Stuczynski
      United States (USA)
      4.80 m  Svetlana Feofanova
      Russia (RUS)
      4.75 m
      Long jump
      details
       Maurren Maggi
      Brazil (BRA)
      7.04 m  Tatyana Lebedeva
      Russia (RUS)
      7.03 m  Blessing Okagbare
      Nigeria (NGR)
      6.91 m
      Triple jump
      details
       Françoise Mbango Etone
      Cameroon (CMR)
      15.39 m
      (OR)
       Tatyana Lebedeva
      Russia (RUS)
      15.32 m  Hrysopiyi Devetzi
      Greece (GRE)
      15.23 m
      Shot put
      details
       Valerie Vili
      New Zealand (NZL)
      20.56 m  Natallia Mikhnevich
      Belarus (BLR)
      20.28 m  Nadzeya Astapchuk
      Belarus (BLR)
      19.86 m
      Discus throw
      details
       Stephanie Brown Trafton
      United States (USA)
      64.74 m  Yarelis Barrios
      Cuba (CUB)
      63.64 m  Olena Antonova
      Ukraine (UKR)
      62.59 m
      Hammer throw
      details
       Aksana Miankova
      Belarus (BLR)
      76.31 m
      (OR)
       Yipsi Moreno
      Cuba (CUB)
      75.20 m  Zhang Wenxiu
      China (CHN)
      74.32 m
      Javelin throw
      details
       Barbora Špotáková
      Czech Republic (CZE)
      71.42 m  Mariya Abakumova
      Russia (RUS)
      70.78 m  Christina Obergföll
      Germany (GER)
      66.13 m
      Heptathlon
      details
       Natalya Dobrynska
      Ukraine (UKR)
      6733  Hyleas Fountain
      United States (USA)
      6619  Tatyana Chernova
      Russia (RUS)
      6591

      * Athletes who participated in the heats only and received medals.

      Lyudmila Blonska of Ukraine originally won the silver medal in the women's heptathlon, but was disqualified after she tested positive for methyltestosterone.[2]

      Medal table

      Retrieved from Beijing Olympics 2008 Official Website.[3]

            Host nation (China)

      The Beijing National Stadium on August 16, 2008, during the Olympics.
      Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
      1  United States (USA) 7 9 7 23
      2  Russia (RUS) 6 5 7 18
      3  Kenya (KEN) 6 4 4 14
      4  Jamaica (JAM) 6 3 2 11
      5  Ethiopia (ETH) 4 1 2 7
      6  Belarus (BLR) 1 3 3 7
      7  Cuba (CUB) 1 2 2 5
      8  Australia (AUS) 1 2 1 4
      8  Great Britain (GBR) 1 2 1 4
      10  Ukraine (UKR) 1 1 3 5
      11  Belgium (BEL) 1 1 0 2
      11  Norway (NOR) 1 1 0 2
      11  New Zealand (NZL) 1 1 0 2
      11  Poland (POL) 1 1 0 2
      15  Italy (ITA) 1 0 1 2
      16  Brazil (BRA) 1 0 0 1
      16  Cameroon (CMR) 1 0 0 1
      16  Czech Republic (CZE) 1 0 0 1
      16  Estonia (EST) 1 0 0 1
      16  Panama (PAN) 1 0 0 1
      16  Portugal (POR) 1 0 0 1
      16  Romania (ROU) 1 0 0 1
      16  Slovenia (SLO) 1 0 0 1
      24  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) 0 2 0 2
      24  Turkey (TUR) 0 2 0 2
      26  Bahamas (BAH) 0 1 1 2
      26  France (FRA) 0 1 1 2
      26  Morocco (MAR) 0 1 1 2
      29  Croatia (CRO) 0 1 0 1
      29  Ecuador (ECU) 0 1 0 1
      29  Latvia (LAT) 0 1 0 1
      29  South Africa (RSA) 0 1 0 1
      29  Sudan (SUD) 0 1 0 1
      34  China (CHN) 0 0 2 2
      34  Nigeria (NGR) 0 0 2 2
      36  Canada (CAN) 0 0 1 1
      36  Finland (FIN) 0 0 1 1
      36  Germany (GER) 0 0 1 1
      36  Greece (GRE) 0 0 1 1
      36  Japan (JPN) 0 0 1 1
      36  Lithuania (LTU) 0 0 1 1
      Total 47 48 46 141
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      Records broken

      During these 2008 Summer Olympic Games, 17 new Olympic records and 5 new world records were set in the athletics events.

      Men's Olympic and world records

      Event Date Round Name Nationality Result OR WR
      100 metres August 16 Final Usain Bolt Jamaica 9.69 s OR WR
      200 metres August 20 Final Usain Bolt Jamaica 19.30 s OR WR
      5000 metres August 23 Final Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia 12:57.82 OR
      10000 metres August 17 Final Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia 27:01.17 OR
      4x100 metre relay August 22 Final Nesta Carter
      Michael Frater
      Usain Bolt
      Asafa Powell
      Jamaica 37.10 s OR WR
      4x400 metre relay August 23 Final LaShawn Merritt
      Angelo Taylor
      David Neville
      Jeremy Wariner
      United States 2:55.39 OR
      Marathon August 24 Final Samuel Kamau Wanjiru Kenya 2:06:32 OR
      50 kilometre walk August 22 Final Alex Schwazer Italy 3:37:09 OR
      Pole vault August 22 Final Steven Hooker Australia 5.96 m OR
      Javelin throw August 23 Final Andreas Thorkildsen Norway 90.57 m OR

      Women's Olympic and world records

      Event Date Round Name Nationality Result OR WR
      400 metre hurdles August 20 Final Melaine Walker Jamaica 52.64 OR
      3,000 metre steeplechase August 17 Final Gulnara Galkina-Samitova Russia 8:58.81 OR* WR
      10,000 metres August 20 Final Tirunesh Dibaba Ethiopia 29:54.66 OR
      20km walk August 20 Final Olga Kaniskina Russia 1:26:31 OR
      Triple jump August 17 Final Françoise Mbango Etone Cameroon 15.39 m OR
      Pole vault August 18 Final Yelena Isinbayeva Russia 5.05 m OR WR
      Hammer throw August 20 Final Aksana Miankova Belarus 76.34 m OR

      * Inaugural event.

      ↑Jump back a section

      Participating nations of men's events

      ↑Jump back a section

      Participating nations of women's events

      ↑Jump back a section

      References

      1. ^ a b c d Engeler, Elaine (June 10, 2010). "CAS Reinstates Medals for Hammer Throwers". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved 2010-06-15. 
      2. ^ IOC sanctions Liudmyla Blonska for failing Anti-Doping test IOC press release August 22, 2008.
      3. ^ "Athletics Medal Standings". Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-17. 
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      Last modified on 26 March 2013, at 22:09