IAAF World Athletes of the Year, Jamaica's Usain Bolt (right) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, with their trophies in in Monaco last Saturday. - Contributed

MONTE CARLO, Monaco:

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is still beaming after being named as the World Female Athlete of the Year for the first time in her career last Saturday night at the IAAF Gala inside the Salle des Etoiles here.

Fraser-Pryce, was half of a historic Jamaican sweep of the awards after Usain Bolt was presented with the male Athlete of the Year award. The 'Pocket Rocket' was given the nod ahead of fellow female finalists Valerie Adams and Zuzana Hejnova.

However, the Jamaican double wasn't the only thing being talked about here. Fraser-Pryce highlighted the impact her decision to double up in the 100m and 200m had on her standing on the international athletics stage and perhaps gave her that edge over the rest of 2013's standout performers.

A triple gold medallist at this August's IAAF World Championships in Moscow, where she beat everyone to the line in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, she believes that improving as a multi-event athlete has certainly given her more respect and may have played a big role in her receiving the World Athlete of the Year award, after her 100m-200m dominance at the World Championships as well as on the circuit this year, where she won both Diamond race titles.

Fraser-Pryce was controversially overlooked for the award last year and was in fact not even named among the top three, after winning a gold in the 100m at the London Olympic Games before taking silver medals in the 200m and 4x100m. She was also the Diamond race winner in the 100m in 2012.

"It feels good to win this award, it really does," said Fraser-Pryce. "Last year, I wasn't shortlisted, but this year I decided that I would still work hard because not because we don't get the things that we think we should, it doesn't mean that we should stop working, and I believe in hard work and being committed and motivated."

"More respect? Maybe, the 100m is the event, but doing both (the 100m and 200m) has definitely given me a small pat on the shoulder," Fraser-Pryce laughed. "Doing the 100m and coming back to do the 200m at the same championships is very hard. It also has a lot to do with mental strength as well, and for me, I think it earns you a different kind of respect when you can pull off a double."

Fraser-Pryce became only the second Jamaican to win the award after Merlene Ottey in 1990. Jamaica also became the third country to have both male and female World Athletes of the Year for the same season, after the United States in 1988 with Carl Lewis and Florence Griffith-Joyner and Great Britain in 1993 with Colin Jackson and Sally Gunnell.