2008 in the sport of athletics

none November 2025 2008 in athletics 2008 Olympics 10 Usain BoltYelena Isinbayeva Martin LelIrina Mikitenko 2007 2009 2008 the sport of athletics This article contains an overview of the year 2008 in athletics International events 35em 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China African Championships, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia European Cup, super league held in Annecy, France World Indoor Championships, held in Valencia, Spain Golden League, held in various venues World Athletics Final, held in Stuttgart, Germany World Cross Country Championships, held in Edinburgh, United Kingdom World Road Running Championships, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil World Junior Championships, held in Bydgoszcz, Poland World records Men Event Performance Athlete Nation Place Date100 m 9.72Usain Bolt New York City, United States May 31 9.69Beijing, China August 16 200 m 19.30 August 20 4 × 100 m relay 37.10 Nesta CarterMichael FraterUsain BoltAsafa Powell August 22 110 m hurdles 12.87 Dayron Robles Ostrava, Czech Republic June 12 50 km race walk 3:34:14 Denis Nizhegorodov Russia Cheboksary, Russia May 11 Marathon 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie Ethiopia 1996 Berlin, Germany September 28 Women Event Performance Athlete Nation Place Date 5000 m 14:11.15 Tirunesh DibabaEthiopia 1996 Oslo, Norway June 6 One hour run 18,517 m Dire Tune Ostrava, Czech Republic June 12 3000 m steeplechase 8:58.81 Gulnara Galkina-SamitovaRussia Beijing, China August 17Pole vault 5.03 mYelena Isinbayeva Rome, Italy July 11 5.04 m Monte Carlo, Monaco July 29 5.05 m Beijing, China August 18 Javelin throw 72.28 Barbora Špotáková Stuttgart, Germany September 13 Awards Men Award Winner IAAF World Athlete of the Year JAM Usain Bolthttps://sflcn.com/usain-bolt-crowned-as-the-male-world-athlete-of-the-year-2008/ Usain Bolt crowned as the Male World Athlete of the Year 2008 South Florida Caribbean News August 31, 2008 November 1, 2025 Track & Field Athlete of the Year JAM Usain Bolt European Athlete of the Year NOR Andreas Thorkildsen European Athletics Rising Star GER Raphael Holzdeppe Women Award Winner IAAF World Athlete of the Year RUS Yelena Isinbayeva Track & Field Athlete of the Year ETH 1996 Tirunesh Dibaba European Athlete of the Year RUS Yelena Isinbayeva European Athletics Rising Star GBR Stephanie Twell Men's best year performances 100 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Usain Bolt JAM9.69 WR2.Asafa Powell JAM9.723.Tyson Gay USA9.774.Travis Padgett USA9.89Darvis Patton USA9.89Richard Thompson TRI9.89 200 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Usain Bolt JAM19.30 WR2.Walter Dix USA19.86Shawn Crawford USA19.864.Wallace Spearmon USA19.905.Rodney Martin USA19.99 400 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.LaShawn Merritt USA43.752.Jeremy Wariner USA43.823.Angelo Taylor USA44.384.Chris Brown BAH44.405.Martyn Rooney GBR44.60 800 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Abubaker Kaki SUD1:42.692.Yuriy Borzakovskiy RUS1:42.79Yusuf Saad Kamel BHR1:42.794.Yeimer López CUB1:43.075.Mbulaeni Mulaudzi RSA1:43.26 1500 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Daniel Kipchirchir Komen KEN3:31.492.Augustine Kiprono Choge KEN3:31.573.Asbel Kipruto Kiprop KEN3:31.644.Abdalaati Iguider MAR3:31.885.Shedrack Kibet Korir KEN3:31.94 3000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Edwin Cheruiyot Soi KEN7:31.832.Kenenisa Bekele ETH 19967:31.943.Augustine Kiprono Choge KEN7:32.014.Moses Ndiema Kipsiro UGA7:32.425.Levy Matebo KEN7:33.01 5000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Kenenisa Bekele ETH 199612:50.182.Moses Ndiema Masai KEN12:50.553.Tariku Bekele ETH 199612:52.454.Moses Ndiema Kipsiro UGA12:54.705.Abreham Cherkos ETH 199612:57.56 10,000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Kenenisa Bekele ETH 199626:25.972.Sileshi Sihine ETH 199626:50.533.Haile Gebrselassie ETH 199626:51.204.Eliud Kipchoge KEN26:54.325.Leonard Komon KEN26:57.08 110 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.Dayron Robles CUB12.87 WR2.David Oliver USA12.953.Terrence Trammell USA13.084.Antwon Hicks USA13.095.Anwar Moore USA13.15 400 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.Angelo Taylor USA47.252.Kerron Clement USA47.793.Bershawn Jackson USA48.024.L.J. van Zyl RSA48.225.Danny McFarlane JAM48.30 3000 metres steeplechase RANKATHLETETIME1.Paul Kipsiele Koech KEN8:00.572.Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong KEN8:07.643.Tareq Mubarak Taher BHR8:08.534.Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA8:08.955.Michael Kipyego KEN8:09.05 Half marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.Haile Gebrselassie ETH 199659:15Deriba Merga ETH 199659:153.Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich KEN59:164.Samuel Wanjiru KEN59:265.Patrick Makau Musyoki KEN59:29Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot KEN59:29 Marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.Haile Gebrselassie ETH 19962:03:59 WR2.Martin Lel KEN2:05:153.Samuel Wanjiru KEN2:05:244.Abderrahim Goumri MAR2:05:305.James Kipsang Kwambai KEN2:05:36 High jump RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.Andrey Silnov RUS2.382.Stefan Holm SWE2.373.Dusty Jonas USA2.364.Michał Bieniek POL2.355.Kabelo Kgosiemang BOT2.34Germaine Mason GBR2.34Yaroslav Rybakov RUS2.34 Pole vault RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.Brad Walker USA6.042.Evgeniy Lukyanenko RUS6.013.Steven Hooker AUS6.004.Denys Yurchenko UKR5.835.Maksym Mazuryk UKR5.82 Long jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.Irving Saladino PAN8.732.Ibrahim Camejo CUB8.463.Loúis Tsátoumas GRE8.444.Mohamed Salman Al Khuwalidi KSA8.375.Trevell Quinley USA8.36 Triple jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.Nelson Évora POR17.672.Phillips Idowu GBR17.623.Leevan Sands BAH17.594.Arnie David Giralt CUB17.525.Alexis Copello CUB17.50 Shot put RANKATHLETEMARK1.Adam Nelson USA22.122.Reese Hoffa USA22.103.Andrei Mikhnevich BLR22.004.Christian Cantwell USA21.765.Tomasz Majewski POL21.51 Javelin throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.Andreas Thorkildsen NOR90.572.Jarrod Bannister AUS89.023.Tero Pitkämäki FIN87.704.Antti Ruuskanen FIN87.335.Sergey Makarov RUS86.88 Discus throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.Gerd Kanter EST71.882.Virgilijus Alekna LTU71.253.Mario Pestano ESP69.504.Ehsan Haddadi IRI69.325.Ian Waltz USA68.90 Hammer throw 2008 Hammer Throw Year Ranking RANKATHLETEMARK1.Ivan Tsikhan BLR84.512.Primož Kozmus SLO82.023.Krisztián Pars HUN81.964.Koji Murofushi JPN81.875.Vadim Devyatovskiy BLR81.70 Decathlon 2008 Decathlon Year Ranking RANKATHLETEPOINTS1.Bryan Clay USA88322.Andrei Krauchanka BLR85853.Trey Hardee USA85344.Leonel Suárez CUB85275.Tom Pappas USA8511 Women's best year performances 100 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Torri Edwards USA10.78Shelly-Ann Fraser JAM10.783.Kerron Stewart JAM10.804.Muna Lee USA10.855.Sherone Simpson JAM10.87Veronica Campbell Brown JAM10.87 200 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Veronica Campbell Brown JAM21.742.Allyson Felix USA21.933.Kerron Stewart JAM21.994.Muna Lee USA22.015.Sherone Simpson JAM22.11 400 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Christine Ohuruogu GBR49.622.Shericka Williams JAM49.693.Sanya Richards USA49.744.Amantle Montsho BOT49.83Allyson Felix USA49.83 800 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Pamela Jelimo KEN1:54.012.Yelena Soboleva RUS1:54.853.Tatyana Andrianova RUS1:56.004.Janeth Jepkosgei KEN1:56.075.Svetlana Klyuka RUS1:56.64 1500 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Yelena Soboleva RUS3:56.592.Tatyana Tomashova RUS3:59.423.Maryam Yusuf Jamal BHR3:59.844.Nancy Jebet Lagat KEN4:00.235.Shannon Rowbury USA4:00.33 3000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Vivian Cheruiyot KEN8:33.662.Wude Ayalew ETH 19968:35.503.Dolores Checa ESP8:37.784.Peninah Jepchumba KEN8:40.125.Priscah Jepleting Cherono KEN8:42.04 5000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Tirunesh Dibaba ETH 199614:11.15 WR2.Meseret Defar ETH 199614:12.883.Liliya Shobukhova RUS14:23.754.Vivian Cheruiyot KEN14:25.435.Gulnara Samitova-Galkina RUS14:33.13 10,000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.Tirunesh Dibaba ETH 199629:54.662.Elvan Abeylegesse TUR29:56.343.Shalane Flanagan USA30:22.224.Linet Masai KEN30:26.505.Kimberley Smith NZL30:35.54 100 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.Lolo Jones USA12.432.Damu Cherry USA12.473.Brigitte Foster-Hylton JAM12.494.Josephine Onyia ESP12.505.Sally McLellan AUS12.53 400 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.Melaine Walker JAM52.642.Tiffany Williams USA53.543.Sheena Tosta USA53.584.Tasha Danvers GBR53.845.Anastasiya Rabchenyuk UKR53.96 3000 metres steeplechase RANKATHLETETIME1.Gulnara Samitova-Galkina RUS8:58.81 WR2.Eunice Jepkorir KEN9:07.413.Yekaterina Volkova RUS9:07.644.Tatyana Petrova RUS9:12.335.Cristina Casandra ROU9:16.85 Half marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.Philes Ongori KEN1:07:572.Yukiko Akaba JPN1:08:113.Aselefech Mergia ETH 19961:08:174.Genet Getaneh ETH 19961:08:185.Peninah Arusei KEN1:08:20 Marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.Irina Mikitenko GER2:19:192.Askale Tafa ETH 19962:21:313.Zhang Yingying CHN2:22:384.Berhane Adere ETH 19962:22:425.Galina Bogomolova RUS2:22:53 High jump RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.Blanka Vlašić CRO2.062.Tia Hellebaut BEL2.053.Anna Chicherova RUS2.044.Ariane Friedrich GER2.03Elena Slesarenko RUS2.03 Pole vault RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.Yelena Isinbayeva RUS5.05 WR2.Jennifer Stuczynski USA4.923.Fabiana Murer BRA4.804.Monika Pyrek POL4.75Svetlana Feofanova RUS4.75Yuliya Golubchikova RUS4.75 Long jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.Naide Gomes POR7.122.Lyudmila Kolchanova RUS7.04Maurren Maggi BRA7.044.Tatyana Lebedeva RUS7.035.Brittney Reese USA6.95 Triple jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.Françoise Mbango Etone CMR15.392.Tatyana Lebedeva RUS15.323.Hrysopiyi Devetzi GRE15.234.Yargelis Savigne CUB15.205.Olga Rypakova KAZ15.11 Shot put RANKATHLETEMARK1.Nadzeya Ostapchuk BLR20.982.Natallia Mikhnevich BLR20.703.Valerie Vili NZL20.564.Nadine Kleinert GER19.895.Yulia Leantsiuk BLR19.79 Javelin throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.Barbora Špotáková CZE72.28 WR2.Mariya Abakumova RUS70.783.Christina Obergföll GER69.814.Steffi Nerius GER68.345.Linda Stahl GER66.06 Discus throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.Iryna Yatchenko BLR67.892.Darya Pishchalnikova RUS67.283.Nicoleta Grasu ROU66.514.Stephanie Brown-Trafton USA66.175.Yarelis Barrios CUB66.13 Hammer throw 2008 Hammer Throw Year Ranking RANKATHLETEMARK1.Aksana Miankova BLR77.322.Martina Hrasnová SVK76.823.Yipsi Moreno CUB76.624.Darya Pchelnik BLR76.335.Gulfiya Khanafeyeva RUS75.07 Heptathlon RANKATHLETEPOINTS1.Nataliya Dobrynska UKR67332.Hyleas Fountain USA66673.Tatyana Chernova RUS66184.Lyudmyla Blonska UKR65705.Olga Kurban RUS6559 Deaths June 9 — Peter Rwamuhanda (54), Ugandan hurdler (b. 1953) December 22 — Jani Lehtonen (40), Finnish pole vaulter (b. 1968) References Category:Sport of athletics by year