The opening ceremony for the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing took place on Saturday (22nd August) at the Bird's Nest Stadium.

Script: Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium was a lit up in a sea of colour on Saturday evening, as the opening ceremony for the World Athletics Championships was held ahead of the first evening session of athletics.

The ceremony, which featured brightly coloured dancers dressed as athletes, aerobatic displays and hundreds of performers, lasted around an hour and officially opened the championships.

Flags from the countries of all competing nations were presented during the ceremony.

The Bird's Nest Stadium, the athletics arena for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, will host the world's top athletes over the next eight days.

Teenager Ghirmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea won the opening gold medal of the championships at the men's marathon earlier in the day.