Sprinter Andre De Grasse named IAAF's 2016 Rising Star
Olympic sprint medallist wins 2016 award from track and field world governing body
Canada's Andre De Grasse won the Rising Star Award for 2016 from track and field's world governing body.
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 4x100 relay.
De Grasse's light-hearted rivalry with Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt made for some of the most memorable images of the Rio Games.
Bolt was named track and field's male athlete of the year for the sixth time.
Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia won the women's award, after her world-record run to win Olympic gold in the 10,000 metres.
The awards were handed out Friday by the IAAF at a gala ceremony in Monaco. The winners were chosen by athletics officials, athletes, journalists and an online public poll.
Bolt won golds in the 100, 200 and 4x100 in Rio, repeating his feats of the 2012 London Games and in Beijing in 2008.
Ayana smashed the world record in the Olympic 10,000. Her time of 29:17.45 shaved more than 14 seconds off the previous best.