| | Event type

High Jump, Women

Date	21 – 23 August 2008
Status	Olympic
Location	Beijing Guojia Tiyuchang, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing
Participants	32 from 24 countries

One of the heaviest favorites in Beijing among the women was Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlašić. She had won 34 consecutive meets, and was the 2007 World Champion. In 2008 she had won all her Golden League meets. In the final, there were still six jumpers remaining at the lofty height of 2.01 (6-7). Four cleared, including Vlašić, who was perfect to that point, and was leading. She was joined by Russians Anna Chicherova, also with a first-attempt clearance, and Yelena Slesarenko, and well-known Belgian heptathlete Tia Hellebaut. Vlašić and Chicherova were again perfect over 2.03 (6-8), while Hellebaut needed two attempts to clear, and Slesarenko went out. But at 2.05 (6-8¾) Hellebaut sailed over on her first attempt for a PR, after Vlašić had missed once. She succeeded on her second attempt but neither could clear 2.07 (6-9½) and the gold medal was Hellebaut’s, the first for Belgium in athletics since 1964 (Gaston Roelants in the steeplechase). Hellebaut was a rare athlete who competed while wearing glasses.

That was how the event and the results seemed to have ended. In 2015, however, the IOC began re-testing samples from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, using newer, more advanced testing techniques, in an effort to find those who had used performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), but in whom it could not be detected at the time of those Olympics. This was one of the many events affected.

In October 2016 Anna Chicherova (RUS) was revealed to have a positive re-test for turinabol (dehydrochloromethyltestosterone), and was disqualified, losing her bronze medal. She appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but that appeal was denied on 6 October 2017.

The original fourth- and fifth-place finishers, Yelena Slesarenko (RUS) and Vita Palamar (UKR), respectively, were also disqualified in November 2016 after positive re-tests for turinabol (dehydrochloromethyltestosterone). In November 2017, the IOC announced that the bronze medal would be re-assigned to American Chaunté Howard-Lowe (as Miss Howard in 2008), who finished only sixth originally.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	Tia Hellebaut	BEL	1.93 (=1)	2.05 (1)	Gold
2	Blanka Vlašić	CRO	1.93 (=8)	2.05 (2)	Silver
3	Chaunté Howard	USA	1.93 (=8)	1.99 (3)	Bronze
=4	Ruth Beitía	ESP	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (=4)
=4	Ariane Friedrich	GER	1.93 (=5)	1.96 (=4)
6	Emma Green	SWE	1.93 (11)	1.96 (6)
=7	Marina Aitova	KAZ	1.93 (=1)	1.93 (=7)
=7	Antonietta Di Martino	ITA	1.93 (=5)	1.93 (=7)
=9	Iva Straková	CZE	1.93 (7)	1.93 (=9)
=9	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.93 (=1)	1.93 (=9)
11	Svetlana Shkolina	RUS	1.93 (=8)	1.93 (11)
12	Romana Dubnová	CZE	1.93 (12)	1.89 (12)
=13 r1/2	Doreen Amata	NGR	1.89 (=13)	–
=13 r1/2	Melanie Skotnik	FRA	1.89 (=13)	–
15 r1/2	Svetlana Radzivil	UZB	1.89 (15)	–
=16 r1/2	Amy Acuff	USA	1.89 (=16)	–
=16 r1/2	Nicole Forrester	CAN	1.89 (=16)	–
18 r1/2	Anna Iljuštšenko	EST	1.89 (18)	–
19 r1/2	Zheng Xingjuan	CHN	1.89 (19)	–
20 r1/2	Karina Vnukova	LTU	1.85 (20)	–
=21 r1/2	Sharon Day	USA	1.85 (=21)	–
=21 r1/2	Antonia Stergiou	GRE	1.85 (=21)	–
23 r1/2	Nadiya Dusanova	UZB	1.85 (23)	–
24 r1/2	Levern Spencer	LCA	1.85 (24)	–
25 r1/2	Yekaterina Yevseyeva	KAZ	1.85 (25)	–
=26 r1/2	Nungruthai Chaipetch	THA	1.80 (=26)	–
=26 r1/2	Inna Gliznuța	MDA	1.80 (=26)	–
AC r1/2	Tatyana Yefimenko	KGZ	– (NH)	–
AC r1/2	María Romary Rifka	MEX	– (NH)	–
DQ	Anna Chicherova	RUS	[1.93] (DQ)	[2.03] (DQ)		1
DQ	Yelena Slesarenko	RUS	[1.93] (DQ)	[2.01] (DQ)		2
DQ	Vita Palamar	UKR	[1.93] (DQ)	[1.99] (DQ)		3

Qualifying Round

Date	21 August 2008
Format	Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 1.96 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared
=1	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Tia Hellebaut	BEL	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Ruth Beitía	ESP	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Marina Aitova	KAZ	1.93	0	0	q
=5	Ariane Friedrich	GER	1.93	0	1	q
=5	Antonietta Di Martino	ITA	1.93	0	1	q
7	Iva Straková	CZE	1.93	0	2	q
=8	Blanka Vlašić	CRO	1.93	1	1	q
=8	Chaunté Howard	USA	1.93	1	1	q
=8	Svetlana Shkolina	RUS	1.93	1	1	q
11	Emma Green	SWE	1.93	2	2	q
12	Romana Dubnová	CZE	1.93	2	3	q
=13	Doreen Amata	NGR	1.89	0	0
=13	Melanie Skotnik	FRA	1.89	0	0
15	Svetlana Radzivil	UZB	1.89	0	1
=16	Amy Acuff	USA	1.89	1	1
=16	Nicole Forrester	CAN	1.89	1	1
18	Anna Iljuštšenko	EST	1.89	1	3
19	Zheng Xingjuan	CHN	1.89	2	3
20	Karina Vnukova	LTU	1.85	0	0
=21	Sharon Day	USA	1.85	0	1
=21	Antonia Stergiou	GRE	1.85	0	1
23	Nadiya Dusanova	UZB	1.85	0	2
24	Levern Spencer	LCA	1.85	1	1
25	Yekaterina Yevseyeva	KAZ	1.85	2	2
=26	Inna Gliznuța	MDA	1.80	0	0
=26	Nungruthai Chaipetch	THA	1.80	0	0
NH	Tatyana Yefimenko	KGZ	–	–	–
NH	María Romary Rifka	MEX	–	–	–
DQ	Anna Chicherova	RUS	[1.93]	[1]	[2]	Q	4
DQ	Yelena Slesarenko	RUS	[1.93]	[2]	[3]	Q	5
DQ	Vita Palamar	UKR	[1.93]	[1]	[1]	Q	6

Group A

Date	21 August 2008 — 10:50

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 1.80 m	Attempts at 1.85 m	Attempts at 1.89 m	Attempts at 1.93 m
1	Tia Hellebaut	BEL	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o
2	Ariane Friedrich	GER	1.93	0	1	-	o	xo	o
3	Svetlana Shkolina	RUS	1.93	1	1	o	o	o	xo
4	Romana Dubnová	CZE	1.93	2	3	o	xo	o	xxo
5	Doreen Amata	NGR	1.89	0	0	o	o	o	xxx
6	Svetlana Radzivil	UZB	1.89	0	1	o	xo	o	xxx
7	Amy Acuff	USA	1.89	1	1	o	o	xo	xxx
8	Zheng Xingjuan	CHN	1.89	2	3	xo	o	xxo	xxx
9	Karina Vnukova	LTU	1.85	0	0	o	o	xxx	–
=10	Sharon Day	USA	1.85	0	1	xo	o	xxx	–
=10	Antonia Stergiou	GRE	1.85	0	1	xo	o	xxx	–
12	Yekaterina Yevseyeva	KAZ	1.85	2	2	o	xxo	xxx	–
=13	Inna Gliznuța	MDA	1.80	0	0	o	xxx	–	–
=13	Nungruthai Chaipetch	THA	1.80	0	0	o	xxx	–	–
DQ	Anna Chicherova	RUS	[1.93]	[1]	[2]	[o]	[o]	[xo]	[xo]	7
DQ	Vita Palamar	UKR	[1.93]	[1]	[1]	[-]	[o]	[o]	[xo]	8

Group B

Date	21 August 2008 — 10:50

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 1.80 m	Attempts at 1.85 m	Attempts at 1.89 m	Attempts at 1.93 m
=1	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o
=1	Ruth Beitía	ESP	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o
=1	Marina Aitova	KAZ	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o
4	Antonietta Di Martino	ITA	1.93	0	1	xo	o	o	o
5	Iva Straková	CZE	1.93	0	2	o	o	xxo	o
=6	Blanka Vlašić	CRO	1.93	1	1	o	o	o	xo
=6	Chaunté Howard	USA	1.93	1	1	o	o	o	xo
8	Emma Green	SWE	1.93	2	2	o	o	o	xxo
9	Melanie Skotnik	FRA	1.89	0	0	o	o	o	xxx
10	Nicole Forrester	CAN	1.89	1	1	o	o	xo	xxx
11	Anna Iljuštšenko	EST	1.89	1	3	o	xxo	xo	xxx
12	Nadiya Dusanova	UZB	1.85	0	2	xxo	o	xxx	–
13	Levern Spencer	LCA	1.85	1	1	-	xo	xxx	–
NH	Tatyana Yefimenko	KGZ	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
NH	María Romary Rifka	MEX	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DQ	Yelena Slesarenko	RUS	[1.93]	[2]	[3]	[o]	[o]	[xo]	[xxo]	9

Final Round

Date	23 August 2008 — 19:00

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 1.85 m	Attempts at 1.89 m	Attempts at 1.93 m	Attempts at 1.96 m	Attempts at 1.99 m	Attempts at 2.01 m	Attempts at 2.03 m	Attempts at 2.05 m	Attempts at 2.07 m
1	Tia Hellebaut	BEL	2.05	0	3	o	o	o	o	xo	xo	xo	o	x--
2	Blanka Vlašić	CRO	2.05	1	1	o	o	o	o	o	o	o	xo	xxx
3	Chaunté Howard	USA	1.99	2	4	o	o	xo	xo	xxo	xxx	–	–	–
=4	Ruth Beitía	ESP	1.96	0	0	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
=4	Ariane Friedrich	GER	1.96	0	0	o	-	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
6	Emma Green	SWE	1.96	2	2	o	o	o	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–
=7	Marina Aitova	KAZ	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=7	Antonietta Di Martino	ITA	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=9	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.93	2	2	o	o	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=9	Iva Straková	CZE	1.93	2	2	o	o	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
11	Svetlana Shkolina	RUS	1.93	2	3	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
12	Romana Dubnová	CZE	1.89	1	1	o	xo	x-	-	–	–	–	–	–
DQ	Anna Chicherova	RUS	[2.03]	[0]	[3]	[o]	[o]	[o]	[xo]	[xxo]	[o]	[o]	[xxx]	–	10
DQ	Yelena Slesarenko	RUS	[2.01]	[1]	[4]	[o]	[o]	[xo]	[xo]	[xo]	[xo]	[xxx]	–	–	11
DQ	Vita Palamar	UKR	[1.99]	[1]	[2]	[o]	[o]	[o]	[xo]	[xo]	[xx-]	[x--]	–	–	12