Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Bayan an yi masa tiyata don gyara ƙafafun da ya karye, Yao ya bayyana cewa idan ba zai iya taka leda a gasar Olympics ta 2008 a Beijing ba, "Zai zama babbar asara a rayuwata a yanzu". Ya koma wasa tare da tawagar kasar Sin a ranar 17 ga Yuli, 2008. A ranar 6 ga watan Agusta, Yao ya ɗauki wutar wasannin Olympic zuwa dandalin Tiananmen, a matsayin wani ɓangare na relay na wasan Olympics. Ya kuma dauke tutar kasar Sin kuma ya jagoranci tawagar kasarsa a yayin bikin bude taron. Yao ya ci kwandon farko na wasan, mai maki uku, a gasar cin kofin kwallon kwando ta Olympics ta 2008 ta kasar Sin
wasan da za a yi da Amurka wadda za ta lashe zinare.