Jamaica’s Usain Bolt ended his phenomenal 2008 season on a high on Sunday as he was named the IAAF male athlete of the year at a glittering awards ceremony held at the posh Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting Club d’Eté here in the principality of Monaco.

Not that his winning the award was ever in doubt after winning three gold medals and setting three world records at the Olympic Games held in Beijing, China earlier in the year.

Bolt who turned 22 during the meet, broke his own 100m World Record running 9.96 seconds and the Michael Johnson’s World and Olympic Record in the 200m- when he clocked 19.30 seconds.

He then teams with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Asafa Powell to break the 4x100m World Record in 37.10 seconds.

Bolt was not the only Jamaican highlighted at the Black tie affair as Fab 5 band performed one their original hits “Once in a Life-time” to some 600 track and field dignitaries led by His Solemn Highness Prince Albert II.

Cuba’s Olympic 110m hurdles champion Dayron Robles and Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele were also in the running for the award.

Bolt who won US$100,000 joined compatriots Merlene Ottey from 1996 and Asafa Powell in 2006 as well as Cuba’s Ana Fidelia Quirot as the only Caribbean athletes to have won it.

“It’s like an honour to be named male athlete of the year and just to be with every great person, who have won this award,” Bolt said in a press conference following the announcement of the winners at a mid-afternoon press conference held at the Fairmont Hotel in Monaco on Sunday.

Russian Pole Vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva won her third title as Female of the Year; Tirunish Dibaba of Ethiopia, Angelo Taylor of the United States, Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway and Francoise Mbango of the Cameroon.
2008 World Athletics Gala Awards:

Male World Athlete of the Year: Usain Bolt (JAM)

Female World Athlete of the Year: Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)
   
Male Performance of the Year: Dayron Robles (CUB)*

Female Performance of the Year: Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), Barbora Spotakova (CZE)

Revelation of the year Award: Pamela Jelimo (KEN)

Distinguished Career Award: Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE), Stefan Holm (SWE), Jefferson Pérez (ECU)

Inspirational Award: Henry Rono (KEN)

80 Years of Women Athletes at the Olympic Games: Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA)

Special Olympic Award: Usain Bolt (JAM)

Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH): Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS), Françoise Mbango (CMR), Angelo Taylor (USA), Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR)

*Exceptionally considering the incredible depth of candidates for the Performance of the Year award, the International Athletic Foundation Panel decided to extend the number of finalists to the top 5.

Derrick A. Scott
JIS Washington DC

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