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Guiyang truly significant moment for Cross Country, says IAAF president

Xinhua, March 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

The President of IAAF Lamine Diack praised the preparation of the local organizers and stressed the significance of the competition as the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country championships will be held here Saturday.

"The 41st edition in Guiyang is a truly significant moment for the development of Cross Country running both nationally and internationally. It marks the first time that the championships have ever taken place in China," Diack said during a pre-competition press conference on Friday.

"I am highly confident that these will be a very well organized competition. China is a regular and much respected host of IAAF competitions. Also the venue here in Guiyang has since 2000 hosted both Asian and national Cross Country championships."

The tournament consists of four events including men's 12-kilometer, women's 8km, junior men's 8km and junior women's 6km.

"The IAAF world Cross Country championships are the oldest IAAF world athletics series event having first been celebrated under the IAAF banner in 1973," Diack said.

"In fact this will be only the third occasion that the IAAF world Cross Country championships have been hosted in Asia, following on from the 2006 edition in Fukuoka, Japan and the 2009 celebration in Amman, Jordan."

"I wish good fortune to all the runners and look forward to witnessing a great sporting spectacle," added Diack, who will in August step down as IAAF head.

The 41st edition of the biyearly tournament will feature some 450 athletes from 51 countries and regions, vying for both individual and team titles in each events. Endi