Athletics at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games:

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.