Bolt gets another major award
Published:Wednesday | December 31, 2008 | 12:37 PM
Eurosport has named Jamaica’s super sprinter Usain Bolt its 2008 Sports Personality of the Year for his enthralling victories at the Beijing Olympics in August.
The Eurosport-Yahoo website conducted a poll among journalists, commentators, and pundits to give their top three sports people based on achievements over the past 12 months, and Bolt easily topped the votes.
Bolt, who smashed world records in the 100 and 200 metres in Beijing and also helped propel the Jamaica sprint relay team to world record gold, almost tripled his nearest rival Michael Phelps with a tally of 126 points.
Phelps, who won an unprecedented eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing, gathered 46 points for the runner-up spot.
Britain’s Formula One driving champion Lewis Hamilton was third with 34 points.
The honour from Eurosport, the European sports satellite and cable network, is the latest in a growing list of accolades for Bolt.
He previously won the IAAF Male Athlete of Year award, Central American and Caribbean Athlete of the Year, Jamaica’s Athlete of the Year, the BBC Overseas Sports Personality award, plus the Champion of Champions 2008 label for the French magazine L’equipe.