HSH Prince Albert, Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix, President Lamine Diack, IAAF,
photo courtesy of IAAF communications
In a live global broadcast from Barcelona, Spain, hosted by 1997 WC at 200 meters Ato Boldon, the IAAF announced a series of awards for 2012. The most prestigious were the Inspirational award (Aries Merritt), Female Performance (USA 4 x 100m WR relay team) and Male Performance of the year (David Rudisha, 800m WR, in Olympic final, without pace setters).
The top individual awards were to Allyson Felix as the World Female athlete of the year. Allyson Felix thanked the IAAF, her family and support network. ” After Beijing I was devastated, but I found my focus and worked even harder. London was beyond my dreams and this award is very exciting.”
On the Male side, the World Athlete of the Year was Usain Bolt. ” This award is important to me. I want to thank my sponsors, my family, my friends, and my fans, who are very important to me.”
Allyson Felix, Usain Bolt, IAAF press panels, 23 November 2012,
photo courtesy of IAAF media.
” This year was different (at the Olympics). The first time (Beijing), it was new and now, I have responsibilities of sponsors, fans, the sport. I thought I was in pretty good shape when Yohan beat me in the Trials. That was my wake up call. I pulled out of Monaco, and I prepared for London. When I asked my coach, Do I have anything to worry about, he said no. My coach means a lot to me. He understands me. I respect him. Next year is about one thing, running fast. I will line up in my races and try to run fast each time…I want to get under 19 seconds in the 200 meters.”
24 NOV 2012 GENERAL NEWS
BOLT AND FELIX ARE 2012 WORLD ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
24 November 2012 – Barcelona, Spain – Usain Bolt (JAM) andAllyson Felix (USA) were today named the Male and Female World Athletes of the Year for 2012.
Bolt, who won the award for the fourth time, and Felix, a first-time winner, received their trophies and US$100,000 prize at the Athletes of the Year Awards Ceremony this afternoon in the Grand Ballroom of the Pullman Skipper Hotel, ahead of this evening’s IAAF Centenary Gala Show in the MNAC Museum.
The awards were hosted by International Athletic Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAF & IAAF President Lamine Diack, who presented the trophies to the Female and Male winners respectively.
Usain Bolt, 26, the World Athlete of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2011, successfully defended both his 100m and 200m titles at the Olympic Games in London, clocking 9.63 and 19.32 respectively, both the fastest times in the World this year. He concluded his Olympic appearance by anchoring a Jamaican quartet to a 36.84 World record in the 4x100m Relay. He won six out of seven competitions in the 100m, and three of four in the 200m.
Allyson Felix, 27, following World 200m titles in 2005, 2007 and 2009, won the Olympic 200m title in London and was part of the gold medal-winning 4x100m and 4x400m Relay teams to become the first woman since 1988 to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. The victorious 4x100m Relay quartet in London clocked a 40.82 World record. Her 21.69 victory in the 200m at the U.S. Olympic Trials was the fastest in the world this year and made Felix the fourth fastest woman in history.

Other AWARDS

MALE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Presenter – Peter Snell
David Rudisha (KEN) – 1:40.91 800m World record at the Olympic Games in London.


FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Presenter – Ed Moses
USA Olympic 4x100m Relay – 40.82 World record at the Olympic Games in London.
IAAF INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
Presenter – Kip Keino
Aries Merritt (USA)

MALE RISING STAR AWARD
Presenter – Jan Zelezny
Keshorn Walcott (TRI)

FEMALE RISING STAR AWARD
Presenter РMarie-Jos̩ P̩rec
Antonique Strachan (BAH)

WORLD JOURNALIST AWARD
Presenter – Sebastian Coe
Elias Makori (KEN)

COACHING LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Presenter – Sergey Bubka
Glen Mills (JAM)

MALE MASTER ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Presenter – Dahlan Al Hamad
Rob Lida (USA)

FEMALE MASTER ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Presenter – Robert Hersh
Lynn Ventris (AUS)
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Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.
Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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