Athletics:Beijing has been chosen to host the 2015 IAAF World Championships, the governing body announced today. The competition will see athletics return to the iconic Bird's Nest Stadium in the Chinese capital where the 2008 Olympic Games were held.
The decision was announced by the IAAF council this morning with the body’s president Lamine Diack describing it as “a great opportunity”.
“To help build up our sport and the culture of athletics in a country of 1.6 billion inhabitants is a great opportunity,” Diack said.
“As we sometimes say, China is not a country, it’s a continent. So this is a fantastic opportunity for our sport and for the sport in China.”
Beijing follows Japanese cities Tokyo (1991) and Osaka (2007) as Asian hosts of the event while Daegu in South Korea holds it next year.
Liu Jingmin, Beijing’s vice mayor, said: “This is the most important sporting event for China since the 2008 Olympic Games. We thank you for your trust. We will deliver a high standard event in Beijing which will open a new chapter in Championships standards.”