Athletes competed in 28 sports at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Officially called the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the Summer Olympics took place in Beijing from August 8 to August 24, 2008. The program included 28 sports divided into 41 disciplines, with 302 medal events contested by athletes representing 204 National Olympic Committees.
The number 28 refers to sports, not individual events or disciplines. For example, aquatics included disciplines such as swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming, while cycling included road racing, track cycling, mountain biking, and BMX. Counting every discipline or medal event would therefore produce a much larger total.
Beijing introduced several notable additions and changes. BMX cycling appeared as a new Olympic discipline, and open-water swimming added 10-kilometre marathon events for men and women. Women also competed in the 3,000-metre steeplechase for the first time at these Games. Baseball and boxing were restricted to men, while softball was restricted to women. A wushu tournament was held alongside the Olympics, but it was not part of the official 28-sport program.