Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics Basketball contests at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held from August 9, 2008 to August 24, 2008. Competitions were held at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. The United States claimed the gold medals in both the Men's and Women's competitions. Basketball players that carried their flags at the opening ceremony were Yao Ming (for the People's Republic of China), Šarūnas Jasikevičius (for Lithuania), Dirk Nowitzki (for Germany), Andrei Kirilenko (for the Russian Federation), and Manu Ginóbili (for Argentina). Two sets of medals were awarded in the following events: An NOC may enter
Table tennis at the Summer Olympics only two competitors from each country can enter (instead of 3). This format makes it such that one country cannot win all three top medals - as has been the case during both the Individual Men's and Women's events at the Beijing Olympic tournament, where China dominated and won all 6 medals. In 2008, the doubles events were replaced by team events to lessen the emphasis on doubles play. Table tennis at the Summer Olympics Table tennis competition has been in the Summer Olympic Games since 1988, with singles and doubles events for men and women. Athletes from China have