MONACO, CMC – Sprint superstar Usain Bolt captured the men’s IAAF World Athlete-of-the-Year award for a record sixth time here Friday, as he was rewarded for his outstanding exploits at the summer Olympics in Rio.
The 30-year-old, who plans to quit the sport next year following the World Championships in England, predictably nabbed the top honour while Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana clinched the women’s equivalent.
Bolt said the outing in Rio had been a memorable one and hailed his fans who had made the outing special.
“I live for the moments when I walk into a stadium and I hear a loud roar and Rio was outstanding,” the Jamaican said. “One of the main reasons I’m continuing for another year is because of the fans – they don’t want me to retire. I have to give thanks to them.”
Bolt entered the season under a cloud a doubt and a couple sub-par performances did nothing to dispel fears he would not be up to scratch for the Olympics.
An injury which forced him out of the National Championships increased the pessimism but as he has done so many times in the past, Bolt proceeded to stun yet again.
He successfully defended his 100 metres title in a time of 9.81 seconds and returned to complete the double for the third straight Olympiad when he clocked 19.78 to capture the 200 metres.
His ninth Olympic gold came when he anchored the men’s sprint relay team to victory.
All told, Bolt was undefeated for the entire season.
Bolt won the IAAF award for the first time in 2008 and again in 2009 before picking up a hat-trick of successes between 2011 and 2013.
Ayana, meanwhile, became the third Ethiopian woman to win the award and the second in two years following on from Genzebe Dibaba’s success last year.
She won the Olympic 10 000 metres in a world record 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds.
