MONACO - USAIN Bolt's recordbreaking feats at the Olympics in winning three golds and breaking both the 100m and 200m world records justifiably earned him the IAAF male athlete of the year award on Sunday.

Whether the 22-year-old's award will meet with approval from IOC president Jacques Rogge is another matter as the Belgian believes the Jamaican's attitude to his rivals leaves a lot to be desired.

However, Rogge would be in the distinct minority of people who find fault in the gangly Jamaican, who has restored some much needed showmanship to the sprint events which had been devastated by constant drugs scandals.

His signature Jamaican 'To the world' dance performed during his victory laps, ending with him leaning back and pointing two fingers up into the sky, endeared him to millions.

The ease with which he won the 100 and 200m in Beijing - he was also part of the Jamaican team that destroyed the world record in the 4x100m relay - have everything to do with his remarkably laid-back attitude to life and also a bizarre diet of chicken nuggets and yams.

'I wouldn't say I'm a phenomenon, I'm just a great athlete,' was his modest assessment of himself after the Olympic treble.

Bolt admitted he failed initially to realise his natural talent as a junior, when aged just 15 he became the youngest ever world junior champion in Kingston, because he loved to go out and party.

'Regarding the partying, well you grow up and see the bigger picture,' he confessed shortly after breaking compatriot Asafa Powell's 100m world record at the end of May.

'It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. I decided it was time to change, not everything, only a little,' added Bolt, who conceded that the partying was mainly focussed on dancing, not drinking.

Bolt, who like most Jamaicans played cricket until his coach recommended he take up athletics instead, has taken his laid back image onto the track, entertaining the crowd with his repertoire of impromptu jigs.

'I just chill, I don't try and think too much about the race,' said Bolt.

'I just relax and try to think about cars or something like that.' The transformation in his attitude has come about ever since he linked up with coach Glen Mills four years ago.

Mills helped him to regain his self-belief after suffering several injuries.

'I never really doubted, I worried a little bit after two years of injuries,' said Bolt, who took his first senior medal last year with a 200m silver at the world championships.

'However, things changed dramatically when I joined up with Glen.' Bolt placed his faith in Mills with the coach advising on the wisdom of a Beijing sprint double - a feat last achieved by Carl Lewis in Los Angeles at the 1984 Olympics.

'He (Mills) is like a father figure to me. He has never done me any wrong and he has always made the right decisions,' said Bolt.

'He is a guiding light and he has shown me the way to improve myself both as a person and as an athlete.'

Bolt cracked two of his role models' feats in the space of five days in China, first going one better than compatriot Don Quarrie, who had come closest to landing a first Olympic 100m title for Jamaica when he took silver in 1976.

In the 200m, he destroyed Michael Johnson's world record which the American set in the 1996 Games in Atlanta by two hundreths of a second.

Perhaps the best assessment of Bolt was made by 2003 100m world champion Kim Collins, who finished well behind him in the 200m final.

'He (Bolt) is not human,' said the 32-year-old Collins. 'Eventually he'll come back down to earth.' The question for his rivals is, when? -- AFP