Bolt, Pearson awarded Athlete of the Year

MONACO - Usain Bolt has won a record-tying third Athlete of the Year award despite losing his hold on the 100 meters, athletics’ most prestigious event. Australian Sally Pearson clinched her first trophy for a nearly flawless season in the 100 hurdles.

In a vote that was said to be exceptionally tight, Bolt beat his Jamaican training teammate and new 100-meter champion Yohan Blake and 800-meter champion David Rudisha. After false-starting the 100-meter final at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Bolt came back to claim the 200 and anchored the Jamaican team to a world record and the title in the 4x100 relay.

Pearson ran the fastest hurdles race in 19 years to clinch the world title and only saw a perfect season go to waste when she crashed in the last Diamond League race in Brussels. She beat double long-distance world champion Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya and New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams.

With his third title, Bolt equaled Moroccan middle-distance great Hicham El Guerrouj, who won a triple from 2001 to 2003. AP