Bolt and Pearson bag the 2011 World Athlete of the Year award

World Champion Usain Bolt and Sally Pearson have won ‘2011 world athletes of the year’ awards, presented by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The awards were presented during World Athletics Gala in Monaco.

The 25-year-old Jamaican, Usain Bolt, who claimed gold medals in 200m and 4*100 relay in world championships at Daegu, he won this award for the third time – previously he won in 2008 and 2009. The lightening Bolt has won 5 out of his 6 100m outings this year with a best time of 9.76s. He was a victim of false start during world championships at Daegu making him miss his 6^th win of the year.

The 25-year-old Australian, Sally Pearson won the award in female category for her dominance in women’s 100m hurdles throughout the year. Pearson has won 10 out of her 11 outings in this year with a gold medal in world championships at Daegu. This was first time for Sally Pearson to get a nomination in any category.

Here are the award details from the World Athletics Gala 2011 in Monaco:

Performance of the Year –

Men – Yohan Blake (JAM) for time of 19.26, the second fastest 200m performance in history at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels.

Women – Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) for her 5000m and 10,000m double victory at the World Championships in Daegu

Coaching Lifetime Achievement Award -

John Velzian (KEN)

Journalist Lifetime achievement award -

Alain Billouin (FRA)

World Athletics City Award -

Daegu, KOREA