Beijing, March 29, 2015: The Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China and Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee Liu Peng, Mayor of Beijing Wang Anshun and IAAF President Lamine Diack today met in the Golden Room of China’s National Stadium, better known as the Bird’s Nest, to unveil the design of the tickets and to open online sales for the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 (22-30 Aug 2015).
President Diack travelled from the city of Guiyang which yesterday had hosted an exceptionally successful 41st edition of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Accompanying the president was IAAF Council Member Helmut Digel, General Secretary Essar Gabriel and, guest of honour, Kenya’s world half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, who won the senior men’s world cross-country title in Guiyang.
Kamworor, wearing his individual gold medal and the team silver to which he had led Kenya in Guiyang, was joined on stage in the Golden Room by China’s greatest ever track and field athlete, 2004 Olympic and 2007 world 110m hurdles champion Liu Xiang, who is one of the official championship ambassadors.
These two stars were not the only famous athletes to play their part in the online ticket launch. A dozen other athletics stars, including world athlete of the year Valerie Adams and world 800m record-holder David Rudisha, sent video greetings to mark the occasion.
Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China and Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee Liu Peng, Mayor of Beijing Wang Anshun were joined by Deputy Mayor Zhang Jiandong, IAAF Council Member and General Secretary of the Chinese Athletics Association Du Zhaocai, and Li Yingchuan and Chen Jie, respectively the Director and Deputy Director of the Beijing Sports Bureau.
“I have come to Beijing directly from the World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang and I can say that they did a fantastic job of organisation there which I believe is an appetiser to what we can expect here in Beijing in August,” commented President Diack.
“The IAAF World Championships will be the biggest sports event in the world in 2015. What more perfect a setting for that than the iconic Birds Nest stadium where we share so many wonderful memories of the 2008 Olympic Games?
“The IAAF World Championships brings the entire world to one city, unlike any other sport. We expect to gather more than 2000 male and female athletes from more than 200 nations and territories in Beijing: this is universality brought to life through the sport of athletics.
“But Beijing 2015 also means:
“More than 5 billion TV viewers in 202 countries.
“More than half a million spectators following the action in the stadium and at road side for the marathon and walks.
“More than US $7,000,000 in prize money for athletes.
“An estimated US $80 million economic impact for Beijing.
“This is why I am delighted to be here with the mayor and these other VIP guests to unveil the ticket design for this event and to announce the start of the public ticket sale process.”
Mayor Wang Anshun, who had held a private meeting with President Diack ahead of the press conference, and Chinese sports minister Liu Peng exchanged presents with the head of the IAAF.
The press conference concluded with the presentation of the ticket categories and prices, and information about the booking process, which has now ended its initial reservation phase, and today saw the launch of online ticket sales.
• Online ticket booking
“Central to the ticketing policy is the availability of concessionary seats to school students at a rate of only ¥10. This is a development strategy which I fully endorse. It is vital that kids get to experience the passion and emotion of live athletics in a beautiful stadium like the Bird’s Nest,” confirmed President Diack.
“We want them to soak up the intense excitement, the passions, emotions and physical exertions of the world’s best athletes competing.” —- IAAF
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