2015 World Athletic Championships

Beijing hosted the 15th IAAF World Athletic Championships this year, from August 22 – 30, 2015, and it was the largest sporting event to take place at the Beijing National Stadium (“Bird’s Nest”) since the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Even with its sixth straight title in the men’s 4×400-meter relay, the United States still finished behind Jamaica and Kenya with only six gold medals at this year’s world championships. Jamaica again proved it is much more than just Usain Bolt when the country’s women’s team defeated the Americans on Sunday in the 4×400 relay to win its seventh gold medal and deny Allyson Felix a 10th world title. Overall, however, the United States finished with 18 medals, the most of the championships. Kenya had 16 and Jamaica had 12

Here is a selection of highlights from this year’s world championships. 

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Sweden’s Erica Jarder competes in the women’s long jump final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A hostess bites a pen as a punishment by her trainer for a mistake made in a rehearsal for medal presentation ceremonies at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in preparation for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Beijing Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

United States’ Justin Gatlin, centre, races in a men’s 100m semifinal at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde waits to run in a men’s 110m hurdles semifinal at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Grenada’s Kurt Felix holds up his shot as he competes in the men’s shot put decathlon at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Britain’s Mo Farah has a selfie taken with spectators as he celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 5000m final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt hugs his mom, Jennifer Bolt, after winning the men’s 100m final at theWorld Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Sweden’s Michel Torneus competes in men’s long jump qualification at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Canada’s Shawnacy Barber competes in the men’s pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Men’s discus gold medalist Poland’s Piotr Malachowski celebrates on the podium at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Britain’s Mo Farah celebrates winning the men’s 5000m final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Yemen’s Abdullah Al-Qwabani competes barefoot in a men’s 5000m round one heat at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Competitors go through a cooling mist during the men’s 50k race walk at the World Athletics Championships outside the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic celebrates after clearing the bar in the women’s high jump final at the World Athletic Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Kenya’s Ezekiel Kemboi, centre, takes the water jump on his way to winning the gold medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

View of the closing ceremony of the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The teams of the United States, silver, left, and Jamaica, gold, pose with their medals during the ceremony for the women’s 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

China’s Lyu Huihui in action on her way to taking the silver medal in the women’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Gold medalist Britain’s Jessica Ennis-Hill celebrates after the heptathlon 800m at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Martyn Rooney and Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu of the British men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams embrace after both won bronze medals at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, middle, celebrates after winning the men’s 200m final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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Text from the AP news story, US finishes behind Kenya, Jamaica with 6 gold medals, by Raf Casert. 

 

 

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