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Athletics

Usain Bolt wins sixth IAAF Athlete of the Year award

Sprint king Usain Bolt won an unprecedented sixth IAAF male Athlete of the Year award on Friday. The Jamaican, who sealed an amazing third haul of three Olympic sprint gold medals in Rio, will compete at next year's world championships in London and then retire.

Usain Bolt created history by winning nine Olympic gold medals.
Usain Bolt created history by winning nine Olympic gold medals. Eric FEFERBERG / AFP
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Bolt grew into one of sport's most recognizable figures.

"The man is a genius," IAAF president Sebastian Coe said of Bolt in Rio. "There's been nobody since Muhammad Ali who's got remotely near to what this guy has done in terms of grabbing the public imagination."

Bolt insisted it was "mission accomplished" after signing off with a 'treble-treble' in his final Olympic race, predicting that his achievements may never be broken.

The world's fastest man anchored Jamaica's 4x100m relay team to gold on a balmy Rio night to capture the 100m, 200m and relay titles for a third straight Games.

"I hope I've set the bar high enough that no one can do it again," said Bolt.

"I'll have to make a new bucket list now, I've achieved all I wanted to in track and field."

Bolt, who has now won a baffling 20 Olympic and world titles, matched American sprinter and long jumper Carl Lewis and Finnish long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi with nine Olympic golds.

Lewis won his golds between 1984 and 1996, while Nurmi racked up the same tally in the 1920s.

Bolt insisted all of his gold medals were special.

"They all mean the world to me," he said. "It's nine -- all of them are special and they all came along at the right time.

"I've proven to the world I'm the greatest so it's mission accomplished!"

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