Top Chinese athletes mark 200-day countdown to 2015 Beijing IAAF World Championships

With 200 days to go until the Chinese capital hosts the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015, seven leading athletes have been made ambassadors of the championships, which will run from 22-30 August.

Three of the seven ambassadors appeared at a press conference on Tuesday (3). Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic 110m hurdles champion, gave a short but pertinent speech to invite spectators from all over the world. “Athletics is the mother of other sports,” he said. “Let’s throw ourselves into her arms.”

Chen Ding, the Olympic 20km race walk champion, is aiming to win his first world title in Beijing this August. “The World Championships is always exciting,” he said. “And competing on my home soil for my country is going to be an unforgettable experience.”

Wang Yu, the 2.33m high jumper, hopes to compete at this year’s World Championships without any added stress. “I am going to invite my roommates and classmates to cheer for me on site,” said the World University Games bronze medallist.

Besides Liu, Chen and Wang, the other ambassadors are 100m national record-holder Zhang Peimeng, world indoor long jump silver medallist Li Jinzhe, world and Olympic shot put bronze medallist Gong Lijiao, and 2011 world 20km race walk silver medallist Liu Hong.

Further details of the ticketing policy were revealed at the press conference.

The price of single-day tickets range from ¥50 to ¥1000. Nine-day packages, with prices ranging from ¥1200 to ¥7136, are also provided. School students are offered a concessionary rate of only ¥10. Spectators booking tickets before 3 May will be randomly awarded a gift provided by sponsors of the event.

“The students’ sale is part of the IAAF youth development project,” said Chen Jie, executive vice secretary general of the LOC. “It is the first time in IAAF World Championships history that there has been a preferential policy aimed at students.”