Bolt is IAAF athlete of year; Ayana wins women’s award

TIL Desk Sports/ 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 out yesterday by the IAAF at a gala ceremony here. The winners were chosen by athletics officials, athletes, journalists and an online public poll.

Bolt won golds in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100 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.