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2008 Summer Olympics |
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This article contains a chronological summary of major events from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
OC | Opening ceremony | ● | Event competitions | 1 | Gold medal events | EG | Exhibition gala | CC | Closing ceremony |
August 2008 | 6th Wed | 7th Thu | 8th Fri | 9th Sat | 10th Sun | 11th Mon | 12th Tue | 13th Wed | 14th Thu | 15th Fri | 16th Sat | 17th Sun | 18th Mon | 19th Tue | 20th Wed | 21st Thu | 22nd Fri | 23rd Sat | 24th Sun | Events | |
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![]() | OC | CC | — | ||||||||||||||||||
Aquatics | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ● | ● | 1 | ● | 1 | ● | 1 | ● | 1 | 46 | ||||||
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![]() | ● | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||
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![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | ● | 1 | |||||||
![]() | ● | 1 | 1 | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||
![]() | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 47 | ||||||||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||
Baseball/Softball | |||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 4 | 6 | 11 | |||||
Canoeing | ![]() | ● | 2 | ● | ● | 2 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||
Cycling | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||
![]() | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
![]() | ● | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
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![]() | ● | ● | ● | 2 | ● | 1 | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||
![]() | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | ● | 1 | 2 | |||||||
Gymnastics | ![]() | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ● | 4 | 3 | 3 | EG | 18 | ||||||||
![]() | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
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![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 14 | |||||||||||||
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![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 7 | 7 | 14 | ||||||||||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | ||||||||
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15 | |||||||||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
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Volleyball | ![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||
![]() | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | |||||
![]() | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||||||||||
![]() | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 18 | ||||||||||||
Daily medal events | 7 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 27 | 37 | 18 | 20 | 11 | 21 | 21 | 32 | 12 | 302 | ||||
Cumulative total | 7 | 21 | 34 | 53 | 70 | 85 | 103 | 130 | 167 | 185 | 205 | 216 | 237 | 258 | 290 | 302 | |||||
August 2008 | 6th Wed | 7th Thu | 8th Fri | 9th Sat | 10th Sun | 11th Mon | 12th Tue | 13th Wed | 14th Thu | 15th Fri | 16th Sat | 17th Sun | 18th Mon | 19th Tue | 20th Wed | 21st Thu | 22nd Fri | 23rd Sat | 24th Sun | Events |
Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstroke in less than one minute—ten days before her 20th birthday in 2002. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she became the first U.S. female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad, and the first woman ever to win a 100-meter backstroke gold in two consecutive Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
The 14th FINA World Championships were held on 16–31 July 2011 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The 2011 World Championships featured five aquatics disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, open water, and synchronized swimming. At this championships, synchronized swimmer Natalia Ishchenko, of Russia, was the most decorated competitor winning all six gold medals of her events, at solo, duet and team routines. These championships served as qualifying stages for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Britta Steffen is a German former competitive swimmer who specialized in freestyle sprint events, winning 2 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Originally having participated in Olympics as the delegation of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1924 Summer Olympics to 1976 Winter Olympics, China competed at the Olympic Games under the name of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the first time at the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, although they only arrived in time during the last days to participate in one event. That year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed both the PRC and ROC to compete with the name "China", although the latter withdrew in protest. Due to the dispute over the political status of the "two Chinas", the PRC started a period of isolationism, withdrawing from several international sporting bodies and the UN system until the mid-1970s, when the country participated for the first time in the Asian Games in 1974 and the World University Games in 1977. Returning to the IOC officially only in 1979, which gave it the right to send an official delegation, starting from the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, United States. Their first appearance at the Summer Olympic Games after 1952 was the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. The People's Republic of China staged boycotts of the Games of the XVI Olympiad in Melbourne, Australia, Games of the XVII Olympiad in Rome, Italy, Games of the XVIII Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan, Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico City, Mexico, Games of the XX Olympiad in Munich, Germany, and Games of the XXI Olympiad in Montreal, Canada. China also boycotted the Games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow, Soviet Union due to the American-led boycott and the ongoing Sino-Soviet split, together with the other countries.
Hannah Jane Arnett Wilson is a Hong Kong retired amateur swimmer. She is a three-time Olympic swimmer for Hong Kong, having swum at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She has won two career Universiade gold medals. As of July 11, 2009, Wilson currently holds 10 Hong Kong records and two Universiade records in swimming.
The Philippines competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The country was represented by 15 athletes, 10 men and 5 women, who competed in 17 events across 8 sports.
César Augusto Cielo Filho is a Brazilian competitive swimmer who specializes in sprint events. He is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history, having obtained three Olympic medals, winning six individual World Championship gold medals and breaking two world records.
Canada, represented by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, from August 8 to 24, 2008. Canadian athletes had competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900 with the exception of 1980, which were boycotted in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Canada sent 332 athletes in 25 sports, the seventh largest team at the games and Canada's largest since 1988. Canada did not send a team in handball, volleyball or basketball. Kayaker and 2004 Summer Olympics gold medalist Adam van Koeverden was the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies; Karen Cockburn bore the flag at the closing.
The United States of America (USA), represented by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. U.S. athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, which was boycotted by the American team and 65 other countries in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The USOC sent a total of 588 athletes to Beijing (310 men and 286 women), and competed in all Olympic sports except handball.
Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, in August 2008. Brazilian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1920, except the 1928 Summer Olympics. The country is represented by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Brazil headed to the Beijing Games with its largest Olympic delegation at the time, 277 athletes, including 132 women.
The Russian Federation competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China, represented by the Russian Olympic Committee. Russia competed in all sports except baseball, field hockey, football, softball, and taekwondo. They ranked third in the medal table by the number of gold (24) and overall (60) medals. Russia also had 14 medals stripped for doping violations, the most of any nation at the 2008 Olympics.
Nathan Ghar-jun Adrian is an American competitive swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist who formerly held the American record in the long course 50-meter freestyle event.
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were a summer multi-sport event held in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, from 8 to 24 August 2008. Approximately 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 302 events in 28 sports.
Ukraine competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics. The country repeated its 2004 performance in terms of total medals, but its gold medal haul fell slightly from 8 to 7.
Mongolia competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. 29 athletes represented the country and competed in seven events. The Beijing Olympics has been Mongolia's most successful games ever, winning two gold and two silver medals, exceeding the 1980 Moscow Olympics where the nation won two silver and two bronze medals.
Allison Rodgers Schmitt is an American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle events. She is a four-time Olympian and a ten-time Olympic medalist.
Michael Fred Phelps II is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16). At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Phelps tied the record of eight medals of any color at a single Games, held by gymnast Alexander Dityatin, by winning six gold and two bronze medals. Four years later, when he won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, he broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.
Ye Shiwen is a Chinese swimmer. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won gold medals in the 400 metres and 200 metres individual medley, breaking the world record in the 400 m event and the Olympic record in the 200 m event.
Zhang Yufei is a Chinese competitive swimmer who specializes in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. Considered one of the most promising swimming in the international scene, she produced a tally of forty-three medals in her swimming career, spanning the Youth Olympics, Asian Games, World Championships and the Summer Olympics. She currently holds the record for most Olympic medals for a Chinese athlete. In 2023, she was named as the most valuable player in the women's division, in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.