Athletics at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games:

Barbora Špotáková (CZE) came in as the 2007 World Champion and with the best record of the year, and then led the qualifying with 67.69 (222-5). In the final Mariya Abakumova (RUS) opened with 69.32 (227-5), a national record and PR which made her the fourth-longest thrower ever. Špotáková answered with 69.22 (227-11), also a PR and national record, but settled into second place and they held those positions thru the first three rounds. In round four Abakumova hammered the spear out to 70.78 (232-3), making her the second-longest performer in history. But Špotáková came thru in the final round with 71.42 (234-4), less than a foot short of the world record, held by Cuba’s Osleidys Menéndez, who placed fifth with only one valid throw. The bronze medal went to Germany’s Christina Obergföll, silver medalist at the 2007 Worlds, who had opened with 66.13 (216-11) but then struggled with four fouls.