Beijing to host 2015 World Athletics Championships

Beijing has been selected to host the 2015 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships.

The selection of the Chinese capital to host the 15th edition of the Championships will bring athletics back to the dazzling Bird's Nest Stadium (pictured), the centrepiece of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Speaking on the the selection, IAAF President Lamine Diack explained "to help build up our sport and the culture of athletics in a country of 1.6 billion inhabitants is a great opportunity.

"As we sometimes say, China is not a country, itâs a continent. So this is a fantastic opportunity for our sport and for the sport in China."

Beijing, whose metropolitan area is home to nearly 17 million, will become the fourth Asian city to host the IAAF World Championships, the worldâs third largest sporting event. Tokyo played host in 1991 and Osaka in 2007, and Daegu will host next year's edition.

Diack added "Beijing hosted a very successful World Junior Championships for us in 2006 and then of course a very memorable Olympic Games in 2008, so this provides a great opportunity to showcase the Championships in the best possible light in China."

Liu Jingmin, the Vice Mayor of Beijing added "this is the most important sporting event for China since the 2008 Olympic Games."

Beijing's successful bid marks the latest phase of China's commitment to add to and enhance its athletics legacy.

Entering the 1980s, the Chinese Government stressed that "athletics was the fundamental sport with great influence" and that it was "necessary to improve (the national) athletics program", setting the stage for the sportâs significant growth and visibility in the country.

Further encouraging its athletics community, in 2002 the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) positioned athletics as a âfocus sport�?.

In 2006 Beijing hosted the IAAF World Junior Championships where athletes from nearly 180 nations took part. The city has also hosted numerous IAAF Race Walking events, including the 2010 Race Walking Challenge Final, and the Beijing International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, this year celebrated itâs 30th running.

Duan Shijie, Chairman of the Chinese Athletic Association concluded âwe believe that our bid to host the highest profile athletics competition in the world will serve to further promote the development of athletic sports across the world.�?

The 2011 IAAF World Champioships will be held in Daegu, Korea from 27th August to 4th September next year.

For more information go to www.iaaf.org/

22nd September 2009 - BEIJING TO BID FOR 2015 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS