This article contains an overview of the year 2008 in athletics
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 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 Cheboksary, Russia May 11 Marathon 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie Berlin, Germany September 28
Women Event Performance Athlete Nation Place Date 5000 m 14:11.15 Tirunesh Dibaba 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 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 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 RANKATHLETETIME1.9.69 WR2.9.723.9.774.9.899.899.89
200 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.19.30 WR2.19.8619.864.19.905.19.99
400 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.43.752.43.823.44.384.44.405.44.60
800 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.1:42.692.1:42.791:42.794.1:43.075.1:43.26
1500 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.3:31.492.3:31.573.3:31.644.3:31.885.3:31.94
3000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.7:31.832.7:31.943.7:32.014.7:32.425.7:33.01
5000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.12:50.182.12:50.553.12:52.454.12:54.705.12:57.56
10,000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.26:25.972.26:50.533.26:51.204.26:54.325.26:57.08
110 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.12.87 WR2.12.953.13.084.13.095.13.15
400 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.47.252.47.793.48.024.48.225.48.30
3000 metres steeplechase RANKATHLETETIME1.8:00.572.8:07.643.8:08.534.8:08.955.8:09.05
Half marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.59:1559:153.59:164.59:265.59:2959:29
Marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.2:03:59 WR2.2:05:153.2:05:244.2:05:305.2:05:36
High jump RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.2.382.2.373.2.364.2.355.2.342.342.34
Pole vault RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.6.042.6.013.6.004.5.835.5.82
Long jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.8.732.8.463.8.444.8.375.8.36
Triple jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.17.672.17.623.17.594.17.525.17.50
Shot put RANKATHLETEMARK1.22.122.22.103.22.004.21.765.21.51
Javelin throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.90.572.89.023.87.704.87.335.86.88
Discus throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.71.882.71.253.69.504.69.325.68.90
Hammer throw
RANKATHLETEMARK1.84.512.82.023.81.964.81.875.81.70
Decathlon
RANKATHLETEPOINTS1.88322.85853.85344.85275.8511
Women's best year performances
100 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.10.7810.783.10.804.10.855.10.8710.87
200 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.21.742.21.933.21.994.22.015.22.11
400 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.49.622.49.693.49.744.49.8349.83
800 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.1:54.012.1:54.853.1:56.004.1:56.075.1:56.64
1500 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.3:56.592.3:59.423.3:59.844.4:00.235.4:00.33
3000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.8:33.662.8:35.503.8:37.784.8:40.125.8:42.04
5000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.14:11.15 WR2.14:12.883.14:23.754.14:25.435.14:33.13
10,000 metres RANKATHLETETIME1.29:54.662.29:56.343.30:22.224.30:26.505.30:35.54
100 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.12.432.12.473.12.494.12.505.12.53
400 metres hurdles RANKATHLETETIME1.52.642.53.543.53.584.53.845.53.96
3000 metres steeplechase RANKATHLETETIME1.8:58.81 WR2.9:07.413.9:07.644.9:12.335.9:16.85
Half marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.1:07:572.1:08:113.1:08:174.1:08:185.1:08:20
Marathon RANKATHLETETIME1.2:19:192.2:21:313.2:22:384.2:22:425.2:22:53
High jump RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.2.062.2.053.2.044.2.032.03
Pole vault RANKATHLETEHEIGHT1.5.05 WR2.4.923.4.804.4.754.754.75
Long jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.7.122.7.047.044.7.035.6.95
Triple jump RANKATHLETEMARK1.15.392.15.323.15.234.15.205.15.11
Shot put RANKATHLETEMARK1.20.982.20.703.20.564.19.895.19.79
Javelin throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.72.28 WR2.70.783.69.814.68.345.66.06
Discus throw RANKATHLETEMARK1.67.892.67.283.66.514.66.175.66.13
Hammer throw
RANKATHLETEMARK1.77.322.76.823.76.624.76.335.75.07
Heptathlon RANKATHLETEPOINTS1.67332.66673.66184.65705.6559
Deaths June 9 — Peter Rwamuhanda (54), Ugandan hurdler (b. 1953) December 22 — Jani Lehtonen (40), Finnish pole vaulter (b. 1968)
References