The 2008 BWF World Championships were not held because 2008 was an Olympic year. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) traditionally does not schedule the World Championships in Olympic years to avoid conflicts with the Olympic badminton tournament. The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing featured the badminton events instead, and the next World Championship was held in 2009 in Hyderabad, India.
The badminton events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing began on August 9, 2008, serving as the premier global badminton competition of the year in place of a World Championship.
China's Zhang Ning won the women's singles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, defeating teammate Xie Xingfang in the final, marking a highlight of the Olympic-year badminton calendar.
China's Lin Dan defeated Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei 21-12, 21-8 in the men's singles final at the Beijing Olympics, dominating the tournament in a year with no World Championship held.
South Korea's Lee Hyo-jung and Lee Yong-dae won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, defeating Indonesia's Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir in the final.
Following the Olympic badminton events, the BWF World Championships resumed in 2009, held in Hyderabad, India, as the next edition of the world championship after the 2007 Kuala Lumpur tournament.
China's Du Jing and Yu Yang won the women's doubles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, defeating South Korea's Lee Kyung-won and Lee Hyo-jung in the final.
China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng won the men's doubles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, defeating Indonesia's Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan in the final.