AIPS for IAAF

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt has been voted the Best Male Athlete of 2015 by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).

A panel of sports journalists from 91 countries voted in this year’s poll. Bolt, having won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015, received a total of 804 votes (27.74%) to finish in front of tennis player Novak Djokovic and footballer Lionel Messi.

It is the fifth time that Bolt has won the award, following his victories in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013, the years in which he similarly won three gold medals at global championships.

The women’s award, like in 2012 and 2013, went to US tennis player Serena Williams. Ethiopia’s world 1500m champion and record-holder Genzebe Dibaba finished second with 13.19% of the votes while world 200m champion Dafne Schippers was third with 10.31% of the votes.

The IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 was voted as the Best Press Facility of the year. The IAAF World Championships have won the AIPS Best Press Facilities award for each edition of the current millennium.

IMAGE: 100m winner Usain Bolt at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 (Getty Images) © Copyright 100m winner Usain Bolt at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 (Getty Images)

For more on this story go to: http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/usain-bolt-2015-aips-award