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Athletics

Bolt wins athlete of year award

24/11/2008

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has been rewarded for his triple Olympic success by being named as the male athlete of the year at the IAAF awards in Monaco.

The 22-year-old won individual gold medals with stunning world record-breaking performances in both the 100m and 200m.

Bolt also ran the third leg in Jamaica's 4x100m relay team as they claimed the Olympic title in Beijing.

"I am honoured to be among those great athletes who have won this award, and I will try to win it year after year," said Bolt, who also scoops $100,000 in prize money.

"I have done a lot this year and over the past years. This is a nice honour."

Russian Yelena Isinbayeva was given the award for the women's IAAF athlete of the year in 2008 - the third time she has taken the prize - after she retained her Olympic polevaulting crown while setting a new world record of 5.05m.

"I'm very proud and this is more beautiful than 2004 and 2005," she said.

"It proves that I have overcome all the difficulties I faced in 2006 and 2007."