South Korea claimed Olympic baseball gold in Beijing, the last Olympic baseball tournament before the sport was dropped from the 2012 and 2016 Games.
Key Facts
- Tournament dates
- August 13–23, 2008
- Venue
- Wukesong Baseball Field, Beijing
- Gold medal match score
- South Korea 3, Cuba 2
- Bronze medal winner
- United States
- Last Olympic baseball until
- 2020 Tokyo Games
- New rule debut
- IBAF extra-innings rule (runners from 11th inning)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Baseball was included in the Olympics for the fourth time as a medal sport, with professional players eligible for the third consecutive Games. However, no active MLB players participated, limiting rosters to players outside the major league season. Eight national teams qualified to compete at the temporary Wukesong Baseball Field in Beijing.
The baseball tournament ran from August 13 to 23, 2008, at Wukesong Baseball Field. South Korea defeated Cuba 3–2 in the gold medal game, while the United States took bronze. The IBAF's new extra-innings rule, placing two runners on base from the 11th inning onward, was used in official Olympic competition for the first time.
The IOC voted to remove baseball and softball from the Olympic program after Beijing, excluding both sports from the 2012 and 2016 Games. Following a 2016 IOC vote, baseball was reinstated for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Beijing tournament thus marked a significant interruption in Olympic baseball history, with South Korea's gold being the final medal awarded for over a decade.
Result
at Wukesong Baseball Field, Beijing