2008 in the sport of athletics

This article contains an overview of the year 2008 in athletics

2008 in athletics
Major world events	2008 Olympics
World records set	10
IAAF Athletes of the Year	Usain Bolt Yelena Isinbayeva
World Marathon Majors winners	Martin Lel Irina Mikitenko
← 2007 2009 →

International events

• 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	Date
100 m	9.72	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	New York City, United States	May 31
	9.69			Beijing, China	August 16
200 m	19.30				August 20
4 × 100 m relay	37.10	Nesta Carter Michael Frater Usain Bolt Asafa Powell			August 22
110 m hurdles	12.87	Dayron Robles	Cuba	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	Berlin, Germany	September 28

Women

Event	Performance	Athlete	Nation	Place	Date
5000 m	14:11.15	Tirunesh Dibaba	Ethiopia	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-Samitova	Russia	Beijing, China	August 17
Pole vault	5.03 m	Yelena 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	Czech Republic	Stuttgart, Germany	September 13

Awards

Men

Award	Winner
IAAF World Athlete of the Year	Usain Bolt
Track & Field Athlete of the Year	Usain Bolt
European Athlete of the Year	Andreas Thorkildsen
European Athletics Rising Star	Raphael Holzdeppe

Women

Award	Winner
IAAF World Athlete of the Year	Yelena Isinbayeva
Track & Field Athlete of the Year	Tirunesh Dibaba
European Athlete of the Year	Yelena Isinbayeva
European Athletics Rising Star	Stephanie Twell

Men's best year performances

100 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Usain Bolt (JAM)	9.69 WR
2.	Asafa Powell (JAM)	9.72
3.	Tyson Gay (USA)	9.77
4.	Travis Padgett (USA)	9.89
	Darvis Patton (USA)	9.89
	Richard Thompson (TRI)	9.89

200 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Usain Bolt (JAM)	19.30 WR
2.	Walter Dix (USA)	19.86
	Shawn Crawford (USA)	19.86
4.	Wallace Spearmon (USA)	19.90
5.	Rodney Martin (USA)	19.99

400 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	LaShawn Merritt (USA)	43.75
2.	Jeremy Wariner (USA)	43.82
3.	Angelo Taylor (USA)	44.38
4.	Chris Brown (BAH)	44.40
5.	Martyn Rooney (GBR)	44.60

800 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Abubaker Kaki (SUD)	1:42.69
2.	Yuriy Borzakovskiy (RUS)	1:42.79
	Yusuf Saad Kamel (BHR)	1:42.79
4.	Yeimer López (CUB)	1:43.07
5.	Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (RSA)	1:43.26

1500 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (KEN)	3:31.49
2.	Augustine Kiprono Choge (KEN)	3:31.57
3.	Asbel Kipruto Kiprop (KEN)	3:31.64
4.	Abdalaati Iguider (MAR)	3:31.88
5.	Shedrack Kibet Korir (KEN)	3:31.94

3000 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Edwin Cheruiyot Soi (KEN)	7:31.83
2.	Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)	7:31.94
3.	Augustine Kiprono Choge (KEN)	7:32.01
4.	Moses Ndiema Kipsiro (UGA)	7:32.42
5.	Levy Matebo (KEN)	7:33.01

5000 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)	12:50.18
2.	Moses Ndiema Masai (KEN)	12:50.55
3.	Tariku Bekele (ETH)	12:52.45
4.	Moses Ndiema Kipsiro (UGA)	12:54.70
5.	Abreham Cherkos (ETH)	12:57.56

10,000 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)	26:25.97
2.	Sileshi Sihine (ETH)	26:50.53
3.	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)	26:51.20
4.	Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)	26:54.32
5.	Leonard Komon (KEN)	26:57.08

110 metres hurdles

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Dayron Robles (CUB)	12.87 WR
2.	David Oliver (USA)	12.95
3.	Terrence Trammell (USA)	13.08
4.	Antwon Hicks (USA)	13.09
5.	Anwar Moore (USA)	13.15

400 metres hurdles

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Angelo Taylor (USA)	47.25
2.	Kerron Clement (USA)	47.79
3.	Bershawn Jackson (USA)	48.02
4.	L.J. van Zyl (RSA)	48.22
5.	Danny McFarlane (JAM)	48.30

3000 metres steeplechase

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Paul Kipsiele Koech (KEN)	8:00.57
2.	Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong (KEN)	8:07.64
3.	Tareq Mubarak Taher (BHR)	8:08.53
4.	Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (FRA)	8:08.95
5.	Michael Kipyego (KEN)	8:09.05

Half marathon

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)	59:15
	Deriba Merga (ETH)	59:15
3.	Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (KEN)	59:16
4.	Samuel Wanjiru (KEN)	59:26
5.	Patrick Makau Musyoki (KEN)	59:29
	Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot (KEN)	59:29

Marathon

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)	2:03:59 WR
2.	Martin Lel (KEN)	2:05:15
3.	Samuel Wanjiru (KEN)	2:05:24
4.	Abderrahim Goumri (MAR)	2:05:30
5.	James Kipsang Kwambai (KEN)	2:05:36

High jump

RANK	ATHLETE	HEIGHT
1.	Andrey Silnov (RUS)	2.38
2.	Stefan Holm (SWE)	2.37
3.	Dusty Jonas (USA)	2.36
4.	Michał Bieniek (POL)	2.35
5.	Kabelo Kgosiemang (BOT)	2.34
	Germaine Mason (GBR)	2.34
	Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS)	2.34

Pole vault

RANK	ATHLETE	HEIGHT
1.	Brad Walker (USA)	6.04
2.	Evgeniy Lukyanenko (RUS)	6.01
3.	Steven Hooker (AUS)	6.00
4.	Denys Yurchenko (UKR)	5.83
5.	Maksym Mazuryk (UKR)	5.82

Long jump

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Irving Saladino (PAN)	8.73
2.	Ibrahim Camejo (CUB)	8.46
3.	Loúis Tsátoumas (GRE)	8.44
4.	Mohamed Salman Al Khuwalidi (KSA)	8.37
5.	Trevell Quinley (USA)	8.36

Triple jump

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Nelson Évora (POR)	17.67
2.	Phillips Idowu (GBR)	17.62
3.	Leevan Sands (BAH)	17.59
4.	Arnie David Giralt (CUB)	17.52
5.	Alexis Copello (CUB)	17.50

Shot put

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Adam Nelson (USA)	22.12
2.	Reese Hoffa (USA)	22.10
3.	Andrei Mikhnevich (BLR)	22.00
4.	Christian Cantwell (USA)	21.76
5.	Tomasz Majewski (POL)	21.51

Javelin throw

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR)	90.57
2.	Jarrod Bannister (AUS)	89.02
3.	Tero Pitkämäki (FIN)	87.70
4.	Antti Ruuskanen (FIN)	87.33
5.	Sergey Makarov (RUS)	86.88

Discus throw

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Gerd Kanter (EST)	71.88
2.	Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)	71.25
3.	Mario Pestano (ESP)	69.50
4.	Ehsan Haddadi (IRI)	69.32
5.	Ian Waltz (USA)	68.90

Hammer throw

Main article: 2008 Hammer Throw Year Ranking

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Ivan Tsikhan (BLR)	84.51
2.	Primož Kozmus (SLO)	82.02
3.	Krisztián Pars (HUN)	81.96
4.	Koji Murofushi (JPN)	81.87
5.	Vadim Devyatovskiy (BLR)	81.70

Decathlon

Main article: 2008 Decathlon Year Ranking

RANK	ATHLETE	POINTS
1.	Bryan Clay (USA)	8832
2.	Andrei Krauchanka (BLR)	8585
3.	Trey Hardee (USA)	8534
4.	Leonel Suárez (CUB)	8527
5.	Tom Pappas (USA)	8511

Women's best year performances

100 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Torri Edwards (USA)	10.78
	Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM)	10.78
3.	Kerron Stewart (JAM)	10.80
4.	Muna Lee (USA)	10.85
5.	Sherone Simpson (JAM)	10.87
	Veronica Campbell Brown (JAM)	10.87

200 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Veronica Campbell Brown (JAM)	21.74
2.	Allyson Felix (USA)	21.93
3.	Kerron Stewart (JAM)	21.99
4.	Muna Lee (USA)	22.01
5.	Sherone Simpson (JAM)	22.11

400 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Christine Ohuruogu (GBR)	49.62
2.	Shericka Williams (JAM)	49.69
3.	Sanya Richards (USA)	49.74
4.	Amantle Montsho (BOT)	49.83
	Allyson Felix (USA)	49.83

800 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Pamela Jelimo (KEN)	1:54.01
2.	Yelena Soboleva (RUS)	1:54.85
3.	Tatyana Andrianova (RUS)	1:56.00
4.	Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN)	1:56.07
5.	Svetlana Klyuka (RUS)	1:56.64

1500 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Yelena Soboleva (RUS)	3:56.59
2.	Tatyana Tomashova (RUS)	3:59.42
3.	Maryam Yusuf Jamal (BHR)	3:59.84
4.	Nancy Jebet Lagat (KEN)	4:00.23
5.	Shannon Rowbury (USA)	4:00.33

3000 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)	8:33.66
2.	Wude Ayalew (ETH)	8:35.50
3.	Dolores Checa (ESP)	8:37.78
4.	Peninah Jepchumba (KEN)	8:40.12
5.	Priscah Jepleting Cherono (KEN)	8:42.04

5000 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)	14:11.15 WR
2.	Meseret Defar (ETH)	14:12.88
3.	Liliya Shobukhova (RUS)	14:23.75
4.	Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)	14:25.43
5.	Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (RUS)	14:33.13

10,000 metres

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)	29:54.66
2.	Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR)	29:56.34
3.	Shalane Flanagan (USA)	30:22.22
4.	Linet Masai (KEN)	30:26.50
5.	Kimberley Smith (NZL)	30:35.54

100 metres hurdles

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Lolo Jones (USA)	12.43
2.	Damu Cherry (USA)	12.47
3.	Brigitte Foster-Hylton (JAM)	12.49
4.	Josephine Onyia (ESP)	12.50
5.	Sally McLellan (AUS)	12.53

400 metres hurdles

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Melaine Walker (JAM)	52.64
2.	Tiffany Williams (USA)	53.54
3.	Sheena Tosta (USA)	53.58
4.	Tasha Danvers (GBR)	53.84
5.	Anastasiya Rabchenyuk (UKR)	53.96

3000 metres steeplechase

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (RUS)	8:58.81 WR
2.	Eunice Jepkorir (KEN)	9:07.41
3.	Yekaterina Volkova (RUS)	9:07.64
4.	Tatyana Petrova (RUS)	9:12.33
5.	Cristina Casandra (ROU)	9:16.85

Half marathon

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Philes Ongori (KEN)	1:07:57
2.	Yukiko Akaba (JPN)	1:08:11
3.	Aselefech Mergia (ETH)	1:08:17
4.	Genet Getaneh (ETH)	1:08:18
5.	Peninah Arusei (KEN)	1:08:20

Marathon

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Irina Mikitenko (GER)	2:19:19
2.	Askale Tafa (ETH)	2:21:31
3.	Zhang Yingying (CHN)	2:22:38
4.	Berhane Adere (ETH)	2:22:42
5.	Galina Bogomolova (RUS)	2:22:53

High jump

RANK	ATHLETE	HEIGHT
1.	Blanka Vlašić (CRO)	2.06
2.	Tia Hellebaut (BEL)	2.05
3.	Anna Chicherova (RUS)	2.04
4.	Ariane Friedrich (GER)	2.03
	Elena Slesarenko (RUS)	2.03

Pole vault

RANK	ATHLETE	HEIGHT
1.	Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)	5.05 WR
2.	Jennifer Stuczynski (USA)	4.92
3.	Fabiana Murer (BRA)	4.80
4.	Monika Pyrek (POL)	4.75
	Svetlana Feofanova (RUS)	4.75
	Yuliya Golubchikova (RUS)	4.75

Long jump

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Naide Gomes (POR)	7.12
2.	Lyudmila Kolchanova (RUS)	7.04
	Maurren Maggi (BRA)	7.04
4.	Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)	7.03
5.	Brittney Reese (USA)	6.95

Triple jump

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Françoise Mbango Etone (CMR)	15.39
2.	Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS)	15.32
3.	Hrysopiyi Devetzi (GRE)	15.23
4.	Yargelis Savigne (CUB)	15.20
5.	Olga Rypakova (KAZ)	15.11

Shot put

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Nadzeya Ostapchuk (BLR)	20.98
2.	Natallia Mikhnevich (BLR)	20.70
3.	Valerie Vili (NZL)	20.56
4.	Nadine Kleinert (GER)	19.89
5.	Yulia Leantsiuk (BLR)	19.79

Javelin throw

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Barbora Špotáková (CZE)	72.28 WR
2.	Mariya Abakumova (RUS)	70.78
3.	Christina Obergföll (GER)	69.81
4.	Steffi Nerius (GER)	68.34
5.	Linda Stahl (GER)	66.06

Discus throw

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Iryna Yatchenko (BLR)	67.89
2.	Darya Pishchalnikova (RUS)	67.28
3.	Nicoleta Grasu (ROU)	66.51
4.	Stephanie Brown-Trafton (USA)	66.17
5.	Yarelis Barrios (CUB)	66.13

Hammer throw

Main article: 2008 Hammer Throw Year Ranking

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Aksana Miankova (BLR)	77.32
2.	Martina Hrasnová (SVK)	76.82
3.	Yipsi Moreno (CUB)	76.62
4.	Darya Pchelnik (BLR)	76.33
5.	Gulfiya Khanafeyeva (RUS)	75.07

Heptathlon

RANK	ATHLETE	POINTS
1.	Nataliya Dobrynska (UKR)	6733
2.	Hyleas Fountain (USA)	6667
3.	Tatyana Chernova (RUS)	6618
4.	Lyudmyla Blonska (UKR)	6570
5.	Olga Kurban (RUS)	6559

Deaths

• June 9 — Peter Rwamuhanda (54), Ugandan hurdler (b. 1953)
• December 22 — Jani Lehtonen (40), Finnish pole vaulter (b. 1968)