Kenyan middle distance runner David Rudisha was named as the best male athlete of the 2012 London Olympics at the inaugural Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) awards ceremony.

Chinese table tennis player Li Xiaoxia won the women’s award while Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Dutch speed skater Irene Wust were recognised as the top male and female athletes at this year’s Sochi Winter Olympics.

Olympic officials hope the awards, held for the first time to modernise the Games, will become the “oscars of Olympics sport.”

The prizes were presented at a ceremony in Bangkok, attended by more than 1,000 delegates.

For the inaugural presentation, the winners were decided by a special committee set up by ANOC but in future will be decided by the public, voting through media.

Rudisha, who broke the world record to win the 800 metres in London two years ago, had to beat a star-studded field to win the men’s individual award.

Li claimed two gold medals in London, in singles and the team event, and was the only Chinese winner at yesterday’s awards.

The French handball outfit was named as the best men’s team in London after becoming the first to win back-to-back gold medals in the event, while Brazil won the women’s award in volleyball after clinching a second successive gold.

The US won the award for the most successful country in London after topping the medals table with 104 medals, including 46 gold.

Bjoerndalen won two golds in Sochi, in the 10 km sprint and mixed relay, to become the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time, with a total of 13 medals, including eight golds.

Wust was the leader of the Netherlands team that dominated speed skating in Sochi. She won five medals – two gold and three silver – the most by any competitor at the 2014 Olympics.