Olympic Games 2008 - Beijing
MEN MARATHON - 2:06:32 Samuel Kamau WANJIRU (ken)
WOMEN MARATHON - 2:26:44 Constantina DITA-TOMESCU (rou)
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008, and followed by the 2008 Summer Paralympics from September 6 to September 17. The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylized calligraphic character jing (meaning "capital"), referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 were the five Fuwa, each representing one color of the Olympic rings. The Olympic slogan "One World, One Dream", called upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Athletes competed in 302 events in 28 sports. The Chinese government had promoted the games to highlight China's emergence on the world stage and had newly built 12 venues, renovated 11, temporary built eight with a grand total of 37 venues hosting the events. The men's marathon took place on 24 August at 7:30am ending in the Beijing National Stadium. The winner of the event was Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya, who set an Olympic record in the time of two hours, six minutes, and 32 seconds. He is the first Kenyan to win a gold for his country in the marathon. The qualifying standards were 2:15:00 (A standard) and 2:18:00 (B standard).
Results: 1. Samuel Kamau Wanjiru (KEN) 2:06:32; 2. Jaouad Gharib (MOR) 2:07:16; 3. Tsegay Kebede (ETH) 2:10:00; 4. Deriba Merga (ETH) 2:10:21; 5. Martin Lel (KEN) 2:10:24; 6. Viktor Röthlin (SWI) 2:10:35; 7. Gashaw Asfaw (ETH) 2:10:52; 8. Yared Asmerom (ERI) 2:11:11; 9. Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) 2:11:59; 10. Ryan Hall (USA) 2:12:33; 11. Mike Fokoroni (ZIM) 2:13:17; 12. Stefano Baldini (ITA) 2:13:25; 13. Tsuyoshi Ogata (JAP) 2:13:26; 14. Grigoriy Andreyev (RUS) 2:13:33; 15. Ruggero Pertile (ITA) 2:13:39; 16. José Manuel Martínez (SPA) 2:14:00; 17. Francis Kirwa (FIN) 2:14:22; 18. Myongseung Lee (KOR) 2:14:37; 19. Janne Holmén (FIN) 2:14:44; 20. Abderrahim Goumri (MOR) 2:15:00; 21. Aleksey Sokolov (RUS) 2:15:57; 22. Brian Sell (USA) 2:16:07; 23. Ottaviano Andriani (ITA) 2:16:10; 24. Dan Robinson (GBR) 2:16:14; 25. Haiyang Deng (CHI) 2:16:17; 26. Abderrahime Bouramdane (MOR) 2:17:42; 27. Vasyl Matviychuk (UKR) 2:17:50; 28. Bong-ju Lee (KOR) 2:17:56; 29. Oleg Kulkov (RUS) 2:18:11; 30. Paulo Gomes (POR) 2:18:15; 31. Alex Malinga (UGA) 2:18:26; 32. Carlos Cordero (MEX) 2:18:40; 33. Kum-Song Ri (PRK) 2:19:08; 34. Henryk Szost (POL) 2:19:43; 35. José Amado García (GUA) 2:20:15; 36. Yonas Kifle (ERI) 2:20:23; 37. Nasar Sakar Saeed (BRN) 2:20:24; 38. José de Souza (BRA) 2:20:25; 39. Kamiel Maase (NED) 2:20:30; 40. Song-Chol Pak (PRK) 2:21:16; 41. Iaroslav Musinschi (MDA) 2:21:18; 42. Il-Nam Kim (PRK) 2:21:51; 43. Juan Carlos Cardona (COL) 2:21:57; 44. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA) 2:22:43; 45. Arjun Kumar Basnet (NEP) 2:23:09; 46. Hélder Ornelas (POR) 2:23:20; 47. Procopio Franco (MEX) 2:23:24; 48. Nelson Cruz (CPV) 2:23:47; 49. Roberto Echeverria (CHI) 2:23:54; 50. Yi-yong Kim (KOR) 2:23:57; 51. Zhuhong Li (CHI) 2:24:08; 52. Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (MGL) 2:24:19; 53. Norman Dlomo (RSA) 2:24:28; 54. Arkadiusz Sowa (POL) 2:24:48; 55. Samson Ramadhani (TAN) 2:25:03; 56. Ndabili Bashingili (BOT) 2:25:11; 57. Simon Munyutu (FRA) 2:25:50; 58. Antoni Bernadó (AND) 2:26:29; 59. Wen-Chien Wu (TPE) 2:26:55; 60. Lee Troop (AUS) 2:27:17; 61. Costantino León (PER) 2:28:04; 62. Goran Stojiljkovic (MNE) 2:28:14; 63. Alfredo Arévalo (GUA) 2:28:26; 64. Yousf Othman Qader (QAT) 2:28:40; 65. Franklin Tenorio (ECU) 2:29:05; 66. Francisco Bautista (MEX) 2:29:28; 67. Roman Kejžar (SLO) 2:29:37; 68. Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI) 2:29:55; 69. Seteng Ayele (ISR) 2:30:07; 70. Takhir Mamashayev (KAZ) 2:30:26; 71. Abdil Ceylan (TUR) 2:31:43; 72. José Ríos (SPA) 2:32:35; 73. Bunting Hem (CAM) 2:33:32; 74. Marcel Tschopp (LIE) 2:35:06; 75. Pavel Loskutov (EST) 2:39:01; 76. Atsushi Sato (JAP) 2:41:08 ♦ Did not finish: Tesfayohannes Mesfin (ERI); Julio Rey (SPA); Martin Fagan (IRE); Al Mustafa Riyadh (BRN); Ali Mabrouk El Zaidi (LBA); Marilson dos Santos (BRA); Luke Kibet (KEN); Abdulhak Elgorche Zakaria (BRN); Luis Fonseca (VEN); Oleksandr Sitkovskyy (UKR); Franck de Almeida (BRA); Andrei Gordeev (BEL); João N'Tyamba (ANG); Moses Moeketsi Mosuhli (LES); Getuli Bayo (TAN); Mubarak Hassan Shami (QAT); Simon Tsotang Maine (LES); Clement Mabothile Lebopo (LES); Olexandr Kuzin (UKR) ♦ Did not start: Mohamed Ikoki Msandeki (TAN); Satoshi Osaki (JAP); Augusto Soares (TLS).
The Women's marathon took place on August 17, 2008 around an urban circuit specifically designed for the competition, and finished in the Beijing National Stadium. The qualifying standards were 2:37.00 (A standard) and 2:42.00 (B standard). The winner was Constantina Dita-Tomescu of Romania who at one point took a lead of over a minute and maintained it ahead of the chasing pack all the way into the stadium. She completed the marathon in a time of 2:26:44. At 38 years of age, she became the oldest Olympic marathon champion in history (previously the oldest man to win an Olympic marathon was age 37 and the oldest woman was age 30). In second place was Catherine Ndereba of Kenya who completed the race in 2:27:06, closely followed by bronze medalist, Zhou Chunxiu of China who finished in a time of 2:27:07. World record holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain took part in the race despite injury problems that bothered her throughout the previous year. However, she did not feature for much of the race and had to pause and do some exercises to rid herself of cramp at one point. She then proceeded to finish the marathon in twenty-third place in a time of 2:32:38.
Results: 1. Constantina Dita-Tomescu (ROU) 2:26:44; 2. Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 2:27:06; 3. Chunxiu Zhou (CHN) 2:27:07; 4. Xiaolin Zhu (CHN) 2:27:16; 5. Martha Komu (KEN) 2:27:23; 6. Mara Yamauchi (GBR) 2:27:29; 7. Irina Timofeyeva (RUS) 2:27:31; 8. Lidia Simon (ROU) 2:27:51; 9. Souad Aït Salem (ALG) 2:28:29; 10. Salina Jebet Kosgei (KEN) 2:29:28; 11. Živile Balciunaite (LTU) 2:29:33; 12. Kum-Ok Kim (PRK) 2:30:01; 13. Yurika Nakamura (JPN) 2:30:19; 14. Anna Incerti (ITA) 2:30:55; 15. Dire Tune (ETH) 2:31:16; 16. Nina Rillstone (NZL) 2:31:16; 17. Bruna Genovese (ITA) 2:31:31; 18. Luminita Talpos (ROU) 2:31:41; 19. Madaí Pérez (MEX) 2:31:47; 20. Christelle Daunay (FRA) 2:31:48; 21. Benita Johnson (AUS) 2:32:06; 22. Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) 2:32:16; 23. Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 2:32:38; 24. Monika Drybulska (POL) 2:32:39; 25. Eun-jung Lee (KOR) 2:33:07; 26. Liz Yelling (GBR) 2:33:12; 27. Blake Russell (USA) 2:33:13; 28. Beata Naigambo (NAM) 2:33:29; 29. Vincenza Sicari (ITA) 2:33:31; 30. Dorota Gruca (POL) 2:33:32; 31. Tetyana Filonyuk (UKR) 2:33:35; 32. Marisa Barros (POR) 2:34:08; 33. Lisa Jane Weightman (AUS) 2:34:16; 34. Kirsten Melkevik Otterbu (NOR) 2:34:35; 35. Liza Hunter-Galvan (NZL) 2:34:51; 36. Yong-Ok Jong (PRK) 2:34:52; 37. Rasa Drazdauskaite (LTU) 2:35:09; 38. Melanie Kraus (GER) 2:35:17; 39. María Portillo (PER) 2:35:19; 40. Helalia Johannes (NAM) 2:35:22; 41. Shujing Zhang (CHN) 2:35:35; 42. Lucia Kimani (BIH) 2:35:47; 43. Sandra Ruales (ECU) 2:35:53; 44. Kate Smyth (AUS) 2:36:10; 45. Yesenia Centeno (ESP) 2:36:25; 46. Ana Dias (POR) 2:36:25; 47. Nebiat Habtemariam (ERI) 2:37:03; 48. Bun-Hui Jo (PRK) 2:37:04; 49. Tabitha Tsatsa (ZIM) 2:37:10; 50. Bahar Dogan (TUR) 2:37:12; 51. Marily dos Santos (BRA) 2:38:10; 52. Susanne Hahn (GER) 2:38:31; 53. Eun-hee Chae (KOR) 2:38:52; 54. Alessandra Aguilar (ESP) 2:39:29; 55. Patricia Rétiz (MEX) 2:39:34; 56. Sun-young Lee (KOR) 2:43:23; 57. Eva-Maria Gradwohl (AUT) 2:44:24; 58. Yuliya Arzipova (KGZ) 2:44:41; 59. Sonia Calizaya (BOL) 2:45:53; 60. Eléni Dónta (GRE) 2:46:44; 61. Karina Pérez (MEX) 2:47:02; 62. Bertha Sánchez (COL) 2:47:02; 63. Pauline Curley (IRL) 2:47:16; 64. Maria José Pueyo (ESP) 2:48:01; 65. Petra Teveli (HUN) 2:48:32; 66. Epiphanie Nyirabarame (RWA) 2:49:32; 67. Zuzana Šaríková (SVK) 2:49:39; 68. Gabriela Traña (CRC) 2:53:45; 69. Oksana Sklyarenko (UKR) 2:55:39 ♦ Did not finish: Mamorallo Tjoka (LES); Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (USA); Valentina Delion (MDA); Deena Kastor (USA); Olivera Jevtic (SRB); Gete Wami (ETH); Berhane Adere (ETH); Beáta Rakonczai (HUN); Reiko Tosa (JPN); Galina Bogomolova (RUS); Inês Monteiro (POR); Mariana Dias Ximenes (TLS) ♦ Did not start: Nadia Ejjafini (BRN).
