by Rachel Ogbu

Usain Bolt, Olympic gold medallist won the male Athlete of the year awards at a ceremony in Barcelona Saturday November 24.

The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) honoured Bolt from Jamaica, who retained his 100m and 200m titles in London, and he became the first man to win the award four times.
Bolt’s previous successes were in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Allyson Felix, American runner won three gold medals and claimed the male Athlete of the year awards beating Britain’s Jessica Ennis. Felix finished first in the women’s 200m and was also part of the winning 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams to become the first woman since 1988 to win three gold medals at a single Game.

Other awards included the female performance of the year title and this went to the US sprint quartet as they set a new world record in taking the gold medal, beating an earlier time that an East German team set in 1985 .

Also David Rudisha from Kenya won male performance of the year for his winning run in the 800m in London, when he also set a world record.

Trinidad and Tobago’s javelin gold medallist, Keshorn Walcott and 100m sprinter Anthonique Strachan of Bahamas, who won gold at the 2012 World Junior Championship, were named as the rising stars of 2012.