IAAF Co-ordination Commission completes first visit to Beijing, host of 2015 World Championships

An IAAF delegation led by IAAF Council Member Helmut Digel (GER) has just completed its first Co-ordination Commission visit to Beijing, China, which is the host of the 2015 IAAF World Championships (22-30 August).

“Coming to Beijing just a few weeks after the conclusion of the successful IAAF World Championships in Moscow means that we can advise and guide the next organisers of our most important competition, in a way that helps them to deliver a fantastic event and helps to promote our sport in China and the rest of the world,” said Professor Digel.

The delegation also included Council Member Jose Maria Odriozola (ESP) who is one of the Technical Delegates for the competition, senior executives from the IAAF staff led by General Secretary Essar Gabriel, as well as representatives from Dentsu, the IAAF’s Marketing Partner.

During the three day visit, which immediately followed a specific site visit for competition-related matters by the IAAF Technical Delegates, all matters related to the general organisation of the World Championships were discussed. Visits were also made to hotels, the venue for the IAAF Congress, training sites and, of course, the main competition venue itself, which is the National Stadium, more popularly known as the ‘Bird’s Nest’.

“We all have fantastic memories of the Bird’s Nest” said Odriozola, “where we enjoyed some of the greatest moments in athletics’ history just five years ago.

“It is a state of the art facility designed for athletics, and in 2015 it will be reduced in capacity to 55,000 seats, which is an ideal size for our World Championships.

“We are also pleased that our Chinese friends are planning to start the Marathon races in the centre of the city, but they will be finishing in the stadium, which is always a great experience for the runners at the end of this gruelling race,” he added.

During the visit, the IAAF representatives also met key figures from the political authorities in China, who are determined to make the 2015 IAAF World Championships an outstanding success.

During a banquet, Mr Yang Xiaochao, Vice Mayor of Beijing with special responsibility for sport, reminded his guests about the commitment of China to this event.

“Since we will be welcoming around 2000 athletes from 200 nations, the 2015 World Championships will be the biggest sport event in China since the Games themselves, and certainly the most important in the world that year.

“We want to make sure that they not only help to promote the great sport of athletics, but show Beijing, and the country of China, in the best possible light. With less than two years left to go, the hard work starts now and we will listen and learn from the IAAF to ensure that the athletes are able to compete at their best from 22-30 August 2015.”

At the press conference to conclude the Co-ordination Commission, IAAF and local VIPs were joined by Chinese sprinter Zhang Peimeng, who ran a 10.00 100m national record in Moscow and is one of a number of rising stars in Chinese athletics.

“I am extremely motivated, like all my team mates, at the thought of the next IAAF World Championships being in Beijing, especially as I live in a flat which is just walking distance from the stadium,” commented the sprinter.

“I left Moscow in tears at the frustration of just missing the final, but now I realise that I can dream of improving my times and getting into the final in Beijing in front of my home supported, that is a fantastic thought, and I also think that our sport will become more popular amongst the public if we promote this Championships well, and that will mean even more youngsters taking part in athletics in the future.

“I am very proud that Beijing will host in 2015 and see it as a valuable opportunity for sport in China and athletics in particular,” added Zhang.

 

IAAF