Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse named Rising Star of 2016 by IAAF

MONACO, France — Canada’s Andre De Grasse won the Rising Star Award for 2016 from track and field’s world governing body.

The IAAF presented its annual awards Friday in a gala ceremony in Monaco.

The 22-year-old from Markham, Ont., won medals in all three events in his Olympic debut in Rio — silver in the 200 metres, bronze in the 100 metres, and bronze in the 4×100 relay.

De Grasse’s light-hearted rivalry with Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt made for some of the most memorable images of the Rio Games.

The winners were chosen by athletics officials, athletes, journalists and an online public poll.

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Bolt, who won three gold medals in Rio, was named male athlete of the year for the sixth time. He finished first in the 100, 200 and 4×100 metres to repeat his triples from the 2012 London Games and the Beijing Games in 2008.

Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia won the women’s award, after her world-record run to win Olympic gold in the 10,000 metres.

Ayana smashed the world record in the Olympic 10,000m. Her time of 29:17.45 shaved more than 14 seconds off the previous best.

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With files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press