Beijing solidifies its track record

IAAF World Championships were a success for Kenyan athletes and for the host

Seven years after a memorable Olympic Games, Beijing once again staged another mega sporting event with the IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Bird's Nest. Kenya also topped the medals table for the first time ever.

Kenya earned seven gold metals and 16 medals in all, including six silver and three bronze. Jamaica had a tally of seven, two and three for a total of 12 medals. The United States had 18 medals in all, but trailed Kenya on the gold medal count after managing six gold, six silver and as many bronze medals.

Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, Poland, Canada, Germany, Russia and Cuba rounded off the top 10 with the hosts, China, just outside the top 10 at 11th place.

The hosts got their medals through Hong Liu, who struck gold in the women's 20-kilometer walk, with seven silvers coming via Gong Lijiao (women's shot put), Wang Zhen (men's 20-kilometer walk), Zhang Wenxiu (women's hammer), Lu Xiuzhi (women's 20-kilometer walk), men's 4x100 meter relay team, Zhang Guowei (men's high jump) and Lyu Huihui (women's javelin).

Wang Jianan managed a bronze for the host nation in the men's long jump.

When Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games, many skeptics argued that such Games would leave a legacy of white elephants - facilities and infrastructure that would go to waste afterward.

But the staging of a successful 15th IAAF World Championships in Athletics at the iconic stadium went a long way in justifying the city's hosting of the Olympics.

Furthermore, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics bidding team relied on the facilities, infrastructure and operational experience developed for the 2008 Summer Games, which was also integrated into China's regional economic development plans.

Most significantly, Beijing 2022 plans to reuse 11 of the 12 competition venues constructed for the 2008 Games including the Bird's Nest, the National Aquatics Center, popularly known as the Water Cube, the Wukesong MasterCard Center and the China National Convention Center.

Besides, the experience of the over 100,000 Olympic volunteers and 10 million Chinese employed in such areas as venue design, construction, marketing, hospitality, media, operations, medical and transport will continue to hold Beijing in good stead in the organization of mega sports competitions.

In July, Wang Anshun, the mayor of Beijing and president of the Beijing 2022 Bid Committee, assured the world that the "opportunity to utilize the experience of many professionals with Olympic delivery experience for a common project will secure the smooth delivery of successful Games".

Beijing has proven to be a successful hunting ground for Kenyan athletes.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics were Kenya's most successful Games, with 14 medals - six of them gold, four silver and four bronze - with the gold medals including the country's first ever victories at the Olympics by women after Pamela Jelimo and Nancy Jebet Lagat won the 800 and 1,500 meter races.

David Okeyo, vice-president of Athletics Kenya, is happy with what he witnessed during the preparations for the 2008 Olympics. He was also among the Kenyan delegation to the just-concluded IAAF World Championships.

From his sentiments, one clearly sees the immediate impact the Olympics had on Beijing, and also notes a correlation between Beijing's organizational acumen and Kenya's medal tally.

Okeyo says he was impressed by Beijing's organizational prowess. The Kenyan team had no problem with accommodations and food, factors that are crucial to athletes.

Beijing is enjoying the legacy of having hosted the 2008 Olympic Games that also saw Kenya celebrate its first men's marathon title through the late Samuel Wanjiru. What was the Olympic Village in 2008 has now been transformed into residential apartments, restaurants and shopping malls. The 2008 Olympics brought a huge change to the city.

Africa has a lot to learn from Beijing in the organization and management of mega sporting events. The Sept 2 selection of Durban, South Africa, as hosts of the 2022 Commonwealth Games is a huge step forward by the continent.

With Chinese firms handling many construction projects in Kenya and several other African nations, the continent will most definitely benefit from Sino-African relationships to improve its sporting infrastructure and also learn various aspects of sports management.

Sino-Kenya relationships stretch back over 50 years and have seen China finance infrastructure development in Kenya, including the 60,000-seat Moi International Sports Centre that hosted the 1987 All Africa Games.

With China-Africa trade estimated at $222 billion in 2014, it is also worth noting that today, Kenya hosts one of the biggest Chinese diplomatic missions in Africa, with the China Trade Centre in Nairobi also one of the biggest in East and Central Africa.

Sporting relations, post-Beijing, are expected to solidify and perhaps one area where Kenya and Africa can benefit is in specialized training for field events and sprints.

China has produced world champion athletes in these events, the most successful being Liu Xiang, the former Olympic and world champion record holder in the 110 meter hurdles, China's first Olympic track champion and role model.

At the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, Kenya's Julius Yego scored gold in the men's javelin with Egypt's Ihab Abdelrahman taking silver, and South Africa's Sunette Viljoen bronze in the women's javelin.

In the sprints, Africa won gold medals through Kenya's Nicholas Bett in the 400 meter hurdles, South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk in the 400 meters and Anaso Jobodwana, also of South Africa, in the 200 meters.

The general consensus is that Beijing has benefited a huge deal from hosting the 2008 Olympic Games and many hope their experience in infrastructure development and organizational acumen will benefit African nations as Sino-Africa ties grow stronger and stronger.

The author is the 2012 IAAF World Journalist of the year and the Nation Media Group's regional editor for the North Rift. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/05/2015 page10)