Kamworor travelled from Guiyang along with the IAAF President Lamine Diack to attend the event in the Golden Room of the Bird's Nest which hosted athletics at the 2008 Olympic Games.

There they were joined by Liu Peng, China's Sports Minister and chairman of the National Olympic Committee, and Wang Anshun, Mayor of Beijing, as the design of the tickets was unveiled and online sales were opened for the event, scheduled for August 22-30.

"Central to the ticketing policy is the availability of concessionary seats to school students at a rate of only ¥10 (£1.08/$1.61/€1.48) ," said Diack.

"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.

"We want them to soak up the intense excitement, the passions, emotions and physical exertions of the world's best athletes competing."

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, the 2004 Olympic and 2007 world 110 metres hurdles champion Liu Xiang, who is one of the official Championship ambassadors.

These were not the only famous athletes to play their part in the online ticket launch. A dozen others, including World Athlete of the Year Valerie Adams and world 800m record-holder David Rudisha, sent video greetings to mark the occasion.

Geoffrey Kamworor was the guest of honour at the online ticket launch in Beijing for the IAAF World Championships ©Beijing 2015 LOC


"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," Diack added.

"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 Bird's 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 2,000 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 $7,000,000 (£4 million/€6 million) in prize money for athletes.

"An estimated $80 million (£53 million/€73 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."

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