Jamaica sprint superstar Usain Bolt has won his record sixth Men’s International Association of Athletes Federation World Athlete Award, this time for his outstanding feats at the Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
Bolt, 30, who plans to quit the sport next year following the World Championships in England, predictably captured the top honor, while long-distance runner, Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana took the Female Athlete of the Year title during the 2016 World Athletics Gala Awards ceremony in Monaco last Friday.
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 meters.
His ninth Olympic gold medal came when he anchored the men’s sprint relay team to victory for Jamaica.
He was undefeated for the season.
Bolt won the award for the first time in 2008 and again in 2009 before getting a hat-trick of wins between 2011 and 2013.
Bolt told the audience that the outing in Rio had been a memorable one and hailed his fans who had made it special for him.
