7th Heaven | Bolt wins 2016 National Sportsman of the Year award

Andre Lowe, Special Projects Editor - Sports

Triple Olympics 2016 gold medal winner Usain Bolt is the 2016 RJR Sports Foundation National Sportsman of the Year.

As expected, Bolt, who sprinted into the history books with first place finishes in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Rio de Janeiro Games walked away with his seventh Sportsman of the Year award, adding to his wins in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

He joins boxing great Michael McCallum as the most successful male athlete in the history of the awards.

"For me it was an up and down season as always, it was a rough year but with God's strength and the support I got from my team, my friends and fans, I was able to pull through. It was good season and I got through. The dream was to get the triple triple and it feels good to accomplish it because its what I worked for in my career," Bolt said.

Olympic 110m hurdles gold medal winner Omar McLeod - Jamaica's first in the event, was announced as the runner-up. McLeod also won gold in the 60m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, another first for the country.

West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels was the other nominee.

It was the fifth time in the last six years and 14th in the last 16 that a track and field athlete was winning the Sportsman of the Year award.