The world’s leading track and field athletes would descend on the Chinese capital starting this weekend to battling their fellows from across the club for glory. Beijing is ready again to be the centre stage to see the human spirit push the limits, seven years after the record setting Olympics Games. In this special report, we bring you all the best bits with all there is to know in the lead up to the 15th World Athletics Championship which begins on Saturday.

1. The Games would take place at the Beijing National Stadium popularly known as the “Bird’s Nest” because of how it looks. The same stadium was used in the Summer Olympics of 2008. It was the place that, perhaps, saw Usain Bolt transcend into superstardom.
2. The games will last nine days beginning, Saturday, August 22 through to Sunday, August 30,.
3. The World Championships is the third largest sporting event in the world after the Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. Approximately 2000 athletes from 200 countries and territories would be fighting for the 47 gold medals up for grabs.

4. The top five countries are the United States, Russia Jamaica, Kenya and Germany.
5. The World Athletics Championships were initially scheduled to be held every four years but this was changed in 1991 after the third edition to every two years.

Contingents

6. The United States has the largest number with 130 representatives. The closest is Russia which has 71 athletes. Others with fairly large numbers are Germany (66), Great Britain (63), Brazil (58), Ukraine (57), Jamaica (53) and Canada (51).

7. In Africa, Kenya has the largest representatives with 46. Morocco has 22, Ethiopia with 14 and South Africa with 9. Many other African countries will be represented by small numbers including Nigeria (5) Burkina Faso (2) and  Botswana (1).

8. Ghana’s only representatives are Alex Amankwah (800m) and Janet Amponsah (pictured below). 23-year old Amankwah would take part in the 800 metre race on the opening day along with the likes of David Rudisha (Kenya) and Nijel Amos (Botswana). UPDATE: Both atheletes will NOT be there due to visa issues. Click here to read more.
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9. Jamaica’s contingent will be lead by Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce while the United States would be led by Justin Gatlin and Allyson Felix.

Rivalries

10. The United States and Jamaica will continue their rivalries especially in the sprint events - 100m, 200m and 400m. The media hype would be looking keenly at the contest between Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin on Sunday at 11:15 GMT.

11. The middle and long distances will be dominated by favourites mainly from East Africa. Kenya and Ethiopia will battle it out for the five gold medals with the likes of Dibaba, Rudisha and Amos all in action. The Africans are also expected to dominate in Road Running’s Marathon events.

Previews

12. Bolt comes face to face with Justin Gatlin. Whatever you think about Justin Gatlin’s two doping bans – or the fact that he is running faster now, at 33, than ever before – his clash with Usain Bolt will be compelling viewing. Gatlin was last defeated over 100m in September 2013, and is unbeaten in 27 races over both 100m and 200m. Can Bolt, who has suffered a series of niggles in the past two years, show he is still the world’s best?

13. In the 200 metre race, Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt has won the past three world titles at this distance. But this time he comes to Beijing from a different angle compared to previous runs in Berlin, Daegu and Moscow. Bolt’s closest contender remains Gatlin, who has previously won one title in the 200m at Helsinki 2005. Gatlin also won the 100m at the time. Bolt, on the other hand, has won six Olympic titles and eight world titles in the five-year span between 2008 and 2013. Other opponents include USA’s Isiah Young and World Silver medalist Alonso Edward (pictured below).

14. The lines have been drawn in the 800 metre men’s race between two African countries; Kenya and Botswana. This race used to be almost solely David Rudisha’s terrain but injuries have robbed the Kenyan of his top-end speed and he has lost his last six head-to-heads against Nijel Amos. Rudisha, (pictured below) insists he is coming into form, though, and don’t discount the Bosnian Amel Tuka, the fastest man in the world this year, or Ayanleh Souleiman from Djibouti.
     
15. On current form, Asbel Kiprop will be the man to beat as he looks to maintain his recent dominance over the 1500 metre distance and secure a hat-trick of world titles. The  challenge against the 26-year old Kenyan would be led by Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi (pictured below) from Algeria, who appears to be returning to top form, Olympic bronze medalist Abdalaati Iguider of Morocco and compatriot Silas Kiplagat who is the World silver medalist.
16. The world’s best track distance runners must be thinking along similar lines as they ponder how to beat Britain’s Mo Farah (pictured below) in the 10,000m. They had better not be thinking along the same lines as before, as strategies tried to date against the defending champion have been singularly unsuccessful. Perhaps, Farah’s potent opponent lies in his skull. After doping allegations towards his coach, Salazar, it is important for Farah to overcome the psychological pressure that he is in and concentrate on events on the track. Can Farah defend his gold medal from the Moscow 2013 games?

 

17. Jamaica also lead in the women’s 100m race with champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (pictured below). The 28-year old has returned to her best this season as she hunts what would be an unprecedented third women’s 100m world crown. The African challenge is led by Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare and Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure. Two years ago in Moscow, Okagbare attempted an ambitious treble of the 100m, 200m and long jump. She won medals in the latter two events, but was disappointed to place sixth in the 100m. She'll be keen to make amends in Beijing.

18. Allyson Felix’s decision to contest the 400m in Beijing has left the 200m wide open. Defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has been selected for the 200m, but has had a season-long tug-of-war with her coach about whether to do the double. If she runs the 100m only, the race opens up further as the margin between the remaining contenders is narrow. Dafne Schippers (pictured below) is probably a slight favourite in this even field. Her credentials are strong – a bronze medallist in the heptathlon in Moscow two years ago; double sprint champion at the European Championships last year – and the Dutch woman’s form is good.

19. Two years ago in Moscow, Kenya’s Eunice Sum (pictured below) stunned the world by beating experienced rivals for the gold in the 800 metres race. In Beijing, she will be the one to beat. This year the situation is completely different and Sum has already run a personal best of 1:56.99 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris. She has also been undefeated, but she knows from her own example that there is no room for complacency. Sum should definitely be wary of the emerging talents on the field such as Selina Buchel from Switzerland and Cuba’s Rose-Mary Almanza who is second on the world list this year.
20. In the Women’s 1500 metre race, Genzebe Dibaba (pictured below) is undoubtedly the favourite. The Ethiopian has this year turned around her fortunes. No longer an indoor specialist, Dibaba’s outdoor performances this year have matched the incredible feats she has achieved on the boards during the winter. However there will be stiff competition in the metric mile from the likes of defending champion Abeba Aregawi (Sweden), European champion Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) and US duo of Shannon Rowbury and Jenny Simpson.

Interesting bits

21. With setting of world records at a premium in its flagship event, world athletics body IAAF announced a special bonus of USD 100,000 for breaking old marks. In its World Record Programme where athletes achieve a world record, those athletes will be eligible for a special world record bonus worth USD 100,000 with the support of IAAF partners TDK (men's events) and Toyota (women's events).

22. Athletics also has it own Fantasy Game too. And, just like Joy Sports' EPL Fantasy League game, is very popular. The IAAF Fantasy World Championships game works in a similar way, as players are required to identify a squad of athletes who they believe are destined for glory in Beijing. There are no restrictions in terms of countries, event groups or gender. Each squad must be composed of nine athletes, one of whom is the designated team captain. Athletes score points depending upon their final positions and whether they produce world, area or championship records, with the team captain scoring double. At the end of the championships, the overall top finisher will win a trip for two people to the International Athletics Foundation Gala in Monaco in November.

23. Ahead of the games, the athletics world governing body, IAAF has a new president. Lord Sebastian Coe of Britain won the elections held in Beijing and has now replaced Senegalese Lamine Diack.  Lord Seb Coe beat his opponent, Sergey Bubka from Ukraine at the IAAF Congress in Beijing.

24. Weather concerns prompted a reduction in capacity for the World Championships in Athletics. Only the lower and middle tiers of the stadium will be open, capping the venue at around 54,000 spectators rather than its capacity of 80,000.

25. The next World Championships would be held in a fairly recent Olympic city, London. It'll be at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2017.
    
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