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2008 in the sport of athletics

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Field	Value
Title	2008 in athletics
Major world competitions	2008 Olympics
No. of world records	10
IAAF Athletes of the Year	Usain Bolt
Yelena Isinbayeva
World Marathon Majors winners	Martin Lel
Irina Mikitenko
Previous	2007
Next	2009

|No. of world records = 10 |IAAF Athletes of the Year = Usain Bolt Yelena Isinbayeva |T&F News Athletes of the Year = |World Marathon Majors winners = Martin Lel Irina Mikitenko

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	Date
100 m	9.72	Usain Bolt		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		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		Stuttgart, Germany	September 13

Awards

Men

Award	Winner
IAAF World Athlete of the Year	JAM Usain Bolt
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 Tirunesh Dibaba
European Athlete of the Year	RUS Yelena Isinbayeva
European Athletics Rising Star	GBR Stephanie Twell

Men's best year performances

[[100 metres]]

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

[[200 metres]]

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

[[400 metres]]

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

[[800 metres]]

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Abubaker Kaki	1:42.69
2.	Yuriy Borzakovskiy	1:42.79
Yusuf Saad Kamel	1:42.79
4.	Yeimer López	1:43.07
5.	Mbulaeni Mulaudzi	1:43.26

[[1500 metres]]

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

[[3000 metres]]

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

[[5000 metres]]

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

[[10,000 metres]]

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

[[110 metre hurdles|110 metres hurdles]]

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

[[400 metre hurdles|400 metres hurdles]]

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

[[Steeplechase (athletics)|3000 metres steeplechase]]

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

[[Half marathon]]

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

[[Marathon]]

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

[[High jump]]

RANK	ATHLETE	HEIGHT
1.	Andrey Silnov	2.38
2.	Stefan Holm	2.37
3.	Dusty Jonas	2.36
4.	Michał Bieniek	2.35
5.	Kabelo Kgosiemang	2.34
Germaine Mason	2.34
Yaroslav Rybakov	2.34

[[Pole vault]]

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

[[Long jump]]

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Irving Saladino	8.73
2.	Ibrahim Camejo	8.46
3.	Loúis Tsátoumas	8.44
4.	Mohamed Salman Al Khuwalidi	8.37
5.	Trevell Quinley	8.36

[[Triple jump]]

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

[[Shot put]]

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

[[Javelin throw]]

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Andreas Thorkildsen	90.57
2.	Jarrod Bannister	89.02
3.	Tero Pitkämäki	87.70
4.	Antti Ruuskanen	87.33
5.	Sergey Makarov	86.88

[[Discus throw]]

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Gerd Kanter	71.88
2.	Virgilijus Alekna	71.25
3.	Mario Pestano	69.50
4.	Ehsan Haddadi	69.32
5.	Ian Waltz	68.90

[[Hammer throw]]

Main article: 2008 Hammer Throw Year Ranking

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

[[Decathlon]]

Main article: 2008 Decathlon Year Ranking

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

Women's best year performances

[[100 metres]]

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

[[200 metres]]

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

[[400 metres]]

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Christine Ohuruogu	49.62
2.	Shericka Williams	49.69
3.	Sanya Richards	49.74
4.	Amantle Montsho	49.83
Allyson Felix	49.83

[[800 metres]]

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

[[1500 metres]]

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

[[3000 metres]]

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

[[5000 metres]]

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

[[10,000 metres]]

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
1.	Tirunesh Dibaba	29:54.66
2.	Elvan Abeylegesse	29:56.34
3.	Shalane Flanagan	30:22.22
4.	Linet Masai	30:26.50
5.	Kimberley Smith	30:35.54

[[100 metre hurdles|100 metres hurdles]]

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

[[400 metre hurdles|400 metres hurdles]]

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

[[Steeplechase (athletics)|3000 metres steeplechase]]

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

[[Half marathon]]

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

[[Marathon]]

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

[[High jump]]

RANK	ATHLETE	HEIGHT
1.	Blanka Vlašić	2.06
2.	Tia Hellebaut	2.05
3.	Anna Chicherova	2.04
4.	Ariane Friedrich	2.03
Elena Slesarenko	2.03

[[Pole vault]]

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

[[Long jump]]

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Naide Gomes	7.12
2.	Lyudmila Kolchanova	7.04
Maurren Maggi	7.04
4.	Tatyana Lebedeva	7.03
5.	Brittney Reese	6.95

[[Triple jump]]

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Françoise Mbango Etone	15.39
2.	Tatyana Lebedeva	15.32
3.	Hrysopiyi Devetzi	15.23
4.	Yargelis Savigne	15.20
5.	Olga Rypakova	15.11

[[Shot put]]

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

[[Javelin throw]]

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

[[Discus throw]]

RANK	ATHLETE	MARK
1.	Iryna Yatchenko	67.89
2.	Darya Pishchalnikova	67.28
3.	Nicoleta Grasu	66.51
4.	Stephanie Brown-Trafton	66.17
5.	Yarelis Barrios	66.13

[[Hammer throw]]

Main article: 2008 Hammer Throw Year Ranking

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

[[Heptathlon]]

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

Deaths

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

References

(August 31, 2008). "Usain Bolt crowned as the Male World Athlete of the Year 2008". South Florida Caribbean News.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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