Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's discus throw

The qualifying standards were 61.00 m (200.13 ft) (A standard) and 59.00 m (193.57 ft) (B standard).[2]

On the sixth throw of the competition, world leader Stephanie Brown Trafton settled the results, throwing 64.74 m (212 ft 4 in). The next thrower in the ring Yarelis Barrios threw 63.17m which would be good enough for second place. Barrios improved to 63.64m in the second round to assure her hold on second place. The final thrower in the first round, Olena Antonova pulled into third position, which she gradually improved to her best of 62.59 in the fifth round. Through the rest of the competition, Brown Trafton didn't land another throw that would be competitive with the leaders, but she didn't need to. Song Aimin struggled with the worst throw of the opening round and was flirting with elimination until her third round throw which put her into fourth place. Song solidified that position with a fifth round 62.20, which would later become relevant.

Eight years after the event, the IOC reanalyzed doping samples of silver medalist Yarelis Barrios and disqualified her for having the masking agent acetazolamide in her sample. She was stripped of her medal.[3] If the IOC reallocates medals, Antonova stands to advance to the silver medal and Song would get bronze. On May 24, 2017 medals were reallocated.[4]

All times are China standard time (UTC+8)

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World record	Gabriele Reinsch (GDR)	76.80	Neubrandenburg, East Germany	9 July 1988
Olympic record	Martina Hellmann (GDR)	72.30	Seoul, South Korea	29 September 1988

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