Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw explained

Event:	Women's javelin throw
Games:	2008 Summer
Venue:	Beijing National Stadium
Date:	19 August 2008 (qualification) 21 August 2008 (final)
Competitors:	54
Nations:	40
Gold:	Barbora Špotáková
Goldnoc:	CZE
Silver:	Christina Obergföll^[1]
Silvernoc:	GER
Bronze:	Goldie Sayers
Bronzenoc:	GBR
Win Label:	Winning distance
Win Value:	71.42
Prev:	2004
Next:	2012

The women's javelin throw at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 19–21 August at the Beijing National Stadium.^[2]

The qualifying standards were 60.50 m (A standard) and 56.00 m (B standard).^[3]

Mariya Abakumova held the lead from her first throw, with Barbora Špotáková the only other competitor within 3 metres. Abakumova improved to 70.78 on her fourth throw. Christina Obergföll took third place, and Goldie Sayers took fourth (with a British national record); both of these positions were gained from their first round throws with no improvement thereafter. Then Špotáková threw 71.42 on her final throw to win the gold medal, with Abakumova taking silver.

Eight years after the competition, the IOC retested samples from the event in connection with the Russian doping scandal. Mariya Abakumova tested positive for chlorodehydromethyltestosterone (turinabol), so she was disqualified and stripped of her silver medal, which was reallocated to Christina Obergföll. On 26 July 2018, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed the award of the bronze medal to Goldie Sayers.^[4]

Schedule

All times are China standard time (UTC+8)

Date	Time	Round
Tuesday, 19 August 2008	09:00	Qualifications^[5]
style=background:lemonchiffon	Thursday, 21 August 2008	style=background:lemonchiffon	19:20	style=background:lemonchiffon	Finals^[6]

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world record, Olympic record, and world leading mark were as follows:

No new world or Olympic records were set for this event.

Results

Qualifying round

Qualification: 61.50 (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q) advance to the final.

Rank	Group	1	2	3	Result	Notes^[7]
1	A	67.69			67.69	Q
2	B	67.52			67.52	Q
3	A	59.15	59.74	63.94	63.94	Q
DSQ	A	61.23	63.48		63.48	Q
5	B	60.79	62.99		62.99	Q
6	B	62.81			62.81	Q, SB
7	A	56.98	61.81		61.81	Q, SB
8	A	58.30	61.77		61.77	Q
9	B	55.65	53.50	60.92	60.92	q
10	B	53.25	55.89	60.81	60.81	q
11	A	60.51	x	60.41	60.51	q
12	A	60.13	x	52.62	60.13	q, NR
13	B	56.75	54.26	59.63	59.63
14	A	51.33	52.99	59.28	59.28
15	A	56.44	58.59	59.11	59.11
16	A	55.77	57.12	59.05	59.05
17	B	55.71	58.82	58.36	58.82
18	A	58.42	x	x	58.42
19	B	58.06	57.15	57.03	58.06
20	B	55.22	57.36	55.15	57.36
21	B	52.18	57.25	x	57.25
22	A	56.98	57.15	x	57.15
23	A	55.56	57.11	x	57.11
24	A	54.65	57.06	x	57.06
25	B	55.63	51.98	57.05	57.05
26	B	x	56.94	x	56.94
27	A	54.05	56.53	54.32	56.53
28	B	53.69	x	56.35	56.35	SB
29	B	56.32	55.90	50.74	56.32	SB
30	B	46.79	54.60	56.27	56.27
31	B	56.10	x	53.48	56.10
32	A	55.66	x	55.34	55.66
33	A	53.14	55.58	53.82	55.58
34	B	55.51	x	53.85	55.51
35	B	55.50	x	53.59	55.50
36	A	55.31	x	48.71	55.31
37	A	55.30	51.56	53.24	55.30
38	B	55.13	53.81	53.48	55.13
39	A	51.30	54.71	x	54.71
40	A	x	54.56	x	54.56
41	A	54.00	50.35	54.39	54.39
42	B	53.11	54.32	x	54.32
43	A	x	53.44	54.28	54.28
44	A	53.95	x	x	53.95	SB
45	B	53.24	x	47.18	53.24
46	A	51.46	48.00	53.13	53.13
47	B	47.90	51.67	50.49	51.67
48	A	48.37	50.51	42.32	50.51
49	B	47.83	42.78	49.26	49.26
50	B	x	x	48.59	48.59
51	B	45.34	x	43.77	45.34
52	B	40.15	-	-	40.15
	A	x	x	x
	B	x	x	x

Final

Rank	Athlete	1	2	3	4	5	6	Result	Notes
	Barbora Špotáková	69.22	67.04	x	64.92	x	71.42	71.42	AR
	Christina Obergföll	66.13	x	63.34	x	x		x	66.13
	Goldie Sayers	65.75	59.40	62.92	59.72	65.03	56.83	65.75	NR
4	Steffi Nerius	64.05	62.25	59.97	x	x	65.29	65.29
5	Osleidys Menéndez	63.35	x	x	x	x	x	63.35
6	Barbara Madejczyk	58.74	59.16	58.67	x	58.21	62.02	62.02
7	Katharina Molitor	53.19	57.37	59.64	58.81	56.72	57.00	59.64

8	Mercedes Chilla	x	57.94	58.13				58.13
9	Zhang Li	54.69	x	56.14				56.14
10	Sinta Ozoliņa	50.67	53.38	52.23				53.38
11	Felicia Tilea-Moldovan	53.04	x	52.80				53.04
DSQ	Mariya Abakumova	69.32	69.08	x	70.78	x	67.52	DSQ^[8]

Notes and References

Web site: 2008-12 OLYMPIC DOPING RE-TEST – AN UPDATE-UPDATE . 26 Sep 2017. Bill. Mallon. 2017-10-16.
Web site: Olympic Athletics Competition Schedule . 2008-08-04 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20080913131714/http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/results/eventCode%3D3659/bydiscipline/index.html . 13 September 2008 . dead .
Web site: Entry Standards - The XXIX Olympic Games - Beijing, China - 8/24 August 2008 . 2008-08-04. IAAF. https://web.archive.org/web/20080913131730/http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/standards/index.html. 13 September 2008 . live.
Web site: Media Release 4803, 4804, 4983 Decision. . 1 October 2018.
Web site: Women's Javelin Throw Qualifying Rounds . . 31 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120731000349/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/resultsandschedules/rsc%3DATW053900/standings.html . 31 July 2012 .
Web site: Women's Javelin Throw Final. NBC Olympics. 31 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140105164003/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/resultsandschedules/rsc=ATW053100/standings.html. 5 January 2014. dead.
http://www.iaaf.org/oly08/results/eventCode=3659/racedate=08-19-2008/sex=W/discCode=JT/combCode=hash/roundCode=q/results.html#det IAAF
Web site: IOC sanctions four athletes for failing anti-doping tests at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. 14 July 2021.