International Swimming Federation (FINA) President and new ANOC first vice-president Julio Maglione was then awarded the "Outstanding Lifetime Achievement" accolade.

Male and female athletes from each of the five continents were honoured for their performances in the last 12 months.

Athletics also produced three winners as the Trinidad and Tobago men's 4x400 metres relay team were joined by triple jumper Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela and high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar.

Austrian skier Marcel Hirscher and Chinese judoka Song Yu were other winners along with two New Zealanders, rower Robbie Manson and rugby player Sarah Goss.

Legendary Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci received the "Outstanding Performance" award and former Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Michael Fennell was handed the "Contribution to the Olympic Movement" gong.

Le Clos, 25, was honoured after a year in which he returned to the top of the World Championship 200m butterfly podium a year after he finished in a disappointing fourth place in the event at Rio 2016.

Both his parents have also been battling with cancer.

"I am incredibly proud to represent my country and continent at the ANOC Awards," he said.

"After a difficult year last year in my personal life, I am really pleased with my results this year and was delighted to come back and win gold.

"Sport in Africa is going from strength to strength, so I am humbled and honoured to win ANOC Award for Best Male Athlete from Africa."

Osman won Egypt's first ever World Championship medal with a 50m butterfly bronze in Budapest.

Sjöström was honoured after three gold medals in the Hungarian capital - in the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly.

She also won a silver medal in the 100m freestyle.

Trinidad and Tobago's Jarrin Solomon, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio and Lalonde Gordon - plus Renny Quow, who ran in the heat - were popular winners after ending a run of six straight United States victory at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in London.

Barshim was honoured after winning the men's high jump title in London and Rojas became Venezuela's first ever World Championship winner in the women's triple jump.

Song Yu claimed a second successive World Championship judo title in the women's over 78 kilograms category in Budapest.

Hirscher, the only winner from a winter sport, triumphed in slalom and giant slalom events at this year's World Championships in St. Moritz.

Manson set a world best time in the men's single sculls rowing and Goss formed part of the gold medal winning New Zealand team at the Women's Rugby World Cup.

Three lifetime achievement awards were handed out to end the evening.

Comaneci was a five-time Olympic champion gymnast best known for becoming the first gymnast to achieve a perfect score of 10 aged 14 at Montreal 1976.

Maglione was re-elected to a third term as FINA President earlier this year and also still leads the Uruguayan Olympic Committee.

His sporting experience has stretched over six decades since he first led the Uruguayan Swimming Federation in 1969 and has also included a recent two-year stint as Pan American Sports Organization President between 2015 and 2017.

Fennell stood down as JOA President after 40 years earlier this year and oversaw the Caribbean Island over a period in which they won 65 Olympic medals, including 18 gold.

He also led the Commonwealth Games Federation from 1998 until 2011.