Bolt picks historic fourth IAAF award, Felix gets female award

Allyson Felix (L) of the United States and Usain Bolt of Jamaica

 Allyson Felix (L) of the United States and Usain Bolt of Jamaica pose with their female and male 2012 World Athletes of the Year awards during the IAAF athlete of the year award at the IAAF Centenary Gala on November 24, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.(Photo by Getty Images)  

BARCELONA, November 24, 2012 - The self declared king of sprints Jamaican Usain Bolt picked a historic fourth IAAF male athlete of the year award at the IAAF’s 100^th anniversary gala in Barcelona, Spain.

American Allyson Felix, whose third olympics was 'the charm' as she finally earned the 200m Gold medal after twice settling for silver was named the IAAF female athlete of the year.

 It was yet another tough call for the IAAF family picking out Bolt who defended his 100m and 200m Olympic titles and additional his third gold in the 4 x 100m relay team before wrapping up the season with the Diamond league win, ahead of the 800m gold winner Kenyan David Rudisha and American 110m champion Aries Meritt. 

Indeed the IAAF award has given Bolt who has dazzled the athletics world with his dominating runs, a new opportunity to improve he is indeed a sprints legend in the next season.

"It’s all about trying to go as fast as possible. Trying to stay injury-free, I make sure I do my back exercises so I’m strong and I’m ready. That’s one of my main focuses now. With 28 and 29 coming up, you start going downhill so I want to get those (fast times) out of the way.

One of the things that continues to motivate me in life is the fact that I have competition. I enjoy competition, I enjoy competing against the best. When there’s no one to compete against in gets boring. First there was Asafa, then it was Tyson, now it’s Yohan Blake. And I’m looking forward to the younger competition coming up,"said Bolt.

Felix’s charm on and off the track ultimately earned her the nod ahead of the other gold medalist,British Heptathlon Olympic champion Jessica Ennis and  New Zealander Valerie Adams who  did not get a chance to savour her success at the Olympic stadium as she belatedly received the shot put gold after Belarussian Ostapchuk failed a drug test.

"I thank God for the dream came true.I thank Bobby Kersee even though sometimes we argue. The first time I was at the gala I was 17. After Beijing i was devastated, but that esperience was helpful and i worked more hard."

"We’ve decided with my coach that we’re not going to do the 400 or the Long Jump so it’s going to be the 100 and 200,"she added.

Both Rudisha and Meritt also hold individual world records in their respective distances. Meritt had a dream season, first was the world indoor title in Istanbul which he followed up with an outstanding win in London before he erased the four year old world record with his 12.80 run.

Rudisha’s world record-breaking performance at the London Olympic games was expected to tilt the IAAF family vote in his favour but instead earned him the performance of the year.The American 4 x 100m women's team  were picked as the best female performance of the year.

"In the final I wanted to do something special even without a rabbit,"said Rudisha.

Meritt won the IAAF inspiration award.

One thing is certain is that he had Sebastian Coe’s support who has always maintained that Rudisha’s 1:40.91 run was the standout performance at London 2012.

“To me it was the performance of the Games in any sport, but I’m biased. It was an extraordinary thing to do in an Olympic final,” Coe was quoted by iaaf.org. 

“Those of us who are lucky enough to run in an Olympic final tend to play by percentages and not risk too much. The most important thing is to get across the line in first place. This guy was so much better and so much mentally confident (than the rest)”

Rudisha now has shifted his focus on lowering his record even lower in 2013, maybe even at the world championships in Moscow.

“This year I was looking at 1:40.5 and I think I’m capable of doing. I know how hard it is to run 1:40. To say I can run 1:39, it is still unpredictable.”

“I think David can run under 1:40 because of the way he runs and the way he moves and his strong stamina. I have no reason to think he won’t run under 1:40,” Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena the only other man to have broken the world record at an Olympics reckoned.

AIPS Member Elias Makori of the Daily Nation from Kenya was named the IAAF journalist of the year.