Olympic Athletics

Also known as track and field, athletics events at the Summer Olympics have been contested since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.International Olympic Committee: Olympic Athletics History Approximately 2000 athletes compete for medals in 47 events.Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics

Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, athletics events were held at the Beijing National Stadium, Tiananmen Square and the Olympic Green from August 15 to August 24, 2008.Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Time and Venue The U.S. athletics team won the most medals, taking home 23. Russia followed with 18 medals, while Kenya came in third with 14. Usain Bolt helped Zimbabwe place fourth in overall medals, earning three of Zimbabwe's 11 medals.NBC Olympics: Track and Field: 2008 Medals Standings By Nation

On July 31, 2008, the International Association of Athletics Federations suspended five Russian Olympic female track and field athletes. The competitors were accused of fraudulent substitution of urine and tampering with the doping control process. Although several of the women plan to appeal the decision, they may miss the Olympic Games.The New York Times: Russian Athletes Are Suspended for Doping (August 1, 2008)

History

Athletics events have appeared at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympics in 1896. After operating for over three decades as a men's sport, women's athletics events were introduced in 1928.International Olympic Committee: Olympic Athletics History

Athletics Events

10000 m men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
100 m men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
100 m hurdles womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
110 m hurdles menOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
1500 m men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
200 m men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
20 km walk men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
3000 m steeplechase men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
400 m men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
400 m hurdles men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
4x100 m relay men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
4x400 m relay men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
5000 m men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
50 km walk menOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
800 m men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Decathlon menOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Discus throw men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Hammer throw men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Heptathlon womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
High jump men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Javelin throw men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Long jump men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Marathon men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Pole vault men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Shot put men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics
Triple jump men & womenOfficial Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Athletics

2008 Olympic Athletics Medal Winners

Event	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
Men's Athletics
10,000 m	Kenenisa Bekele - Ethiopia	Sileshi Sihine - Ethiopia	Micah Kogo - Kenya
100 m	Usain Bolt - Jamaica (World Record)	Richard Thompson - Trinidad & Tobago	Walter Dix - United States
110 m hurdles	Dayron Robles - Cuba	David Payne - United States	David Oliver - United States
1500 m	Rashid Ramzi - Bahrain	Asbel Kipruto Kiprop - Kenya	Nicholas Willis - New Zealand
200 m	Usain Bolt - Jamaica (World Record)	Shawn Crawford - United States	Walter Dix - United States
20 m walk	Valeriy Borchin - Russia	Jefferson Perez - Ecuador	Jared Tallent - Australia
3000 m steeplechase	Brimin Kiprop Kipruto - Kenya	Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad - France	Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong - Kenya
400 m	LaShawn Merritt - United States	Jeremy Wariner - United States	David Neville - United States
400 m hurdles	Angelo Taylor - United States	Kerron Clement - United States	Bershawn Jackson - United States
4x100 m relay	Jamaica (World Record)	Trinidad and Tobago	Japan
4x400 m relay	United States	Bahamas	Russia
5000 m	Kenenisa Bekele - Ethiopia	Eliud Kipchoge - Kenya	Edwin Cheruiyot Soi - Kenya
50 km walk	Alex Schwazer - Italy	Jared Tallent - Australia	Denis Nizhegorodov - Russia
800 m	Wilfred Bungei - Kenya	Ismail Ahmed Ismail - Sudan	Alfred Kirwa Yego - Kenya
Decathlon	Bryan Clay - United States	Andrei Krauchanka - Belarus	Leonel Suarez - Cuba
Discus throw	Gerd Kanter - Estonia	Piotr Malachowski - Poland	Virgilijus Alekna - Lithuania
Hammer Throw	Primoz Kozmus - Slovenia	Vadim Devyatovskiy - Belarus	Ivan Tsikhan - Belarus
High jump	Andrey Silnov - Russia	Germaine Mason - Great Britain	Yaroslav Rybakov - Russia
Javelin throw	Andreas Thorkildsen - Norway	Ainars Kovals - Latvia	Tero Pitkamaki - Finland
Long jump	Irving Saladino - Panama	Khotso Mokoena - South Africa	Ibrahim Camejo - Cuba
Marathon	Samuel Wanjiru - Kenya	Jaouad Gharib - Morocco	Tsegay Kebede - Ethiopia
Pole vault	Steve Hooker - Australia	Evgeny Lukyanenko - Russia	Denys Yurchenko - Ukraine
Shot put	Tomasz Majewski - Poland	Christian Cantwell - United States	Andrei Mikhnevich - Belarus
Triple jump	Nelson Evora - Portugal	Phillips Idowu - Great Britain	Leevan Sands - Bahamas

Event	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
Women's Athletics
10,000 m	Tirunesh Dibaba - Ethiopia	Elvan Abeylegesse - Turkey	Shalane Flanagan - United States
100 m	Shelly-Ann Fraser - Jamaica	Sherone Simpson - Jamaica and Kerron Stewart - Jamaica	*
100 m hurdles	Dawn Harper - United States	Sally McLellan - Australia	Priscilla Lopes-Schliep - Canada
1500 m	Nancy Jebet Lagat - Kenya	Iryna Lishchynska - Ukraine	Nataliya Tobias - Ukraine
200 m	Veronica Campbell-Brown - Jamaica	Allyson Felix - United States	Kerron Stewart - Jamaica
20 m walk	Olga Kaniskina - Russia	Kjersti Tysse Platzer - Norway	Elisa Rigaudo - Italy
3000 m steeplechase	Gulnara Galkina-Samitova - Russia (World Record)	Eunice Jepkorir - Kenya	Yekaterina Volkova - Russia
400 m	Christine Ohuruogu - Great Britain	Shericka Williams - Jamaica	Sanya Richards - United States
400 m hurdles	Melaine Walker - Jamaica	Sheena Tosta - United States	Tasha Danvers - Great Britain
4x100 m relay	Russia	Belgium	Nigeria
4x400 m relay	United States	Russia	Jamaica
5000 m	Tirunesh Dibaba - Ethiopia	Elvan Abeylegesse - Turkey	Meseret Defar - Ethiopia
800 m	Pamela Jelimo - Kenya	Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei - Kenya	Hasna Benhassi - Morocco
Discus throw	Stephanie Brown Trafton - United States	Yarelys Barrios - Cuba	Olena Antonova - Ukraine
Hammer Throw	Aksana Miankova - Belarus	Yipsi Moreno - Cuba	Wenxiu Zhang - China
Heptathlon	Natalya Dobrynska - Ukraine	Lyudmila Blonska - Ukraine	Hyleas Fountain - United States
High jump	Tia Hellebaut - Belgium	Blanka Vlasic - Croatia	Anna Chicherova - Russia
Javelin throw	Barbora Spotakova - Czech Republic	Mariya Abakumova - Russia	Christina Obergfoll - Germany
Long jump	Maurren Higa Maggi - Brazil	Tatyana Lebedeva - Russia	Blessing Okagbare - Nigeria
Marathon	Constantina Tomescu - Romania	Catherine Ndereba - Kenya	Zhou Chunxiu - China
Pole vault	Yelena Isinbayeva - Russia (World Record)	Jenn Stuczynski - United States	Svetlana Feofanova - Russia
Shot put	Valerie Vili - New Zealand	Natallia Mikhnevich - Belarus	Nadzeya Ostapchuk - Belarus
Triple jump	Francoise Mbango Etone - Cameroon	Tatyana Lebedeva - Russia	Hrysopiyi Devetzi - Greece

*Jamaican sprinters Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart finished the 100 meter event tied for second place with a time of 10.98 seconds. Both women were given silver medals and no bronze medal was awarded.