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| | GEO Sports | | Jamaica’s Bolt declared athlete of the Year 2008 | Updated at: 1048 PST, Friday, January 02, 2009
 GENEVA: The world's fastest man Usain Bolt and Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva have been voted the International Sports Press Association's 2008 Athletes of the Year in an online poll which attracted the votes of 571 journalists from 96 countries and regions.
Both athletes shone in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, with Bolt smashing the 100m world record in a time of 9.69 seconds and backing up four days later to break Michael Johnson's long standing 200m world record setting a new mark of 19.30 seconds.
The 22-year-old then went on to capture a third gold by joining former world 100m record-holder Asafa Powell and his Jamaican teammates to set a third world record in the 4x100m relay in 37.10 seconds.
Isinbayeva, who was undefeated outdoors in 2008, defended her Olympic pole vault title in Beijing with a vault of 5.05 meters, securing her second successive Olympic gold medal.
The Spanish National Football Team, winners of the 2008 UEFA European Championship in June, were voted Team of the Year.
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