Bolt awarded IAAF athlete of the year; almaz Ayana wins women’s award

Usain Bolt is track and field’s male athlete of the year, winning the award from the sport’s governing body for a sixth time. Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia won the women’s award, after her world-record run to win Olympic gold in the 10,000 meters.

The awards were handed by the IAAF at a gala ceremony. The winners were chosen by athletics officials, athletes, journalists and an online poll.

Bolt won gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 meters at the Rio Olympics, repeating his feats of the 2012 London Games and in Beijing in 2008.

Ayana smashed the world record in the Olympic 10,000m. Her time of 29:17.45 shaved more than 14 seconds off the previous best.

Canada’s Andre de Grasse, the 22-year-old who won 200m silver and 100m bronze in Rio, was named male rising star, while Olympic heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam, 22, won the female award.