Jamaica’s Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt has received his sixth IAAF Male Athlete of the Year Award. Bolt won the award in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013. He won the 2016 award for a season that included winning gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100-meter men’s relay at the Olympic Games in Rio. This was the third consecutive time he won three golds at the Olympics. Bolt, 30, ended his season unbeaten in six individual finals and made history with his three consecutive Olympic triples. Speaking of the IAAF award, Bolt said it was “definitely a big deal,” noting that all the hard work he had done over the year paid off. Bolt also said winning it for a sixth year means just as much to him as the first one. In competition with Bolt for the Athlete of the Year award was Britain’s Mo Farah, who had a historic double-double at the Rio Olympics in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa was also in the running; he won Olympic gold in the 400-meters and broke a record set by Michael Johnson.

Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana was named the female World Athletes of the Year.

The nominees for 2016 World Athlete of the Year were:

Men
Usain Bolt (JAM)
Thiago Braz da Silva (BRA)
Ashton Eaton (USA)
Mo Farah (GBR)
Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)
Conseslus Kipruto (KEN)
Omar McLeod (JAM)
David Rudisha (KEN)
Christian Taylor (USA)
Wayde van Niekerk (RSA)

Women
Almaz Ayana (ETH)
Ruth Beitia (ESP)
Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)
Kendra Harrison (USA)
Caterine Ibarguen (COL)
Ruth Jebet (BRN)
Sandra Perkovic (CRO)
Caster Semenya (RSA)
Elaine Thompson (JAM)
Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)

The IAAF Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organized by the International Athletic Foundation of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Photo Source: Usain Bolt Facebook Page