A 100-day countdown ceremony for the 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup kicked off in Taicang on Jan 23. The 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup will be held in Taicang from May 3-4.

The activity was attended by Shen Chunde, deputy director of the Athletics Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China; Zhou Xu, inspector of the Sports Bureau of Jiangsu Province; Du Xiaogang, mayor of Taicang; Zhao Jianchu, deputy mayor; and Chen Ding, a walking champion for the 2012 Olympics and the image ambassador for the race.

Shen Chunde and Du Xiaogang jointly unveiled a countdown placard for the World Race Walking Cup. Zhou Xu, together with Chen Ding, clicked to launch an official website for the race (www.taicang2014.org).

Du Xiaogang said that it is an honor for Taicang to host the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, which will take place in China for the second time after Beijing hosted the first event in 1995.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has conducted several on-site inspections of Taicang and praised the city’s environment and preparations for the race.

In the end, 2,000 students participated in a 2km walking activity led by Chen Ding to celebrate the upcoming race.