Stars of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been recognised in the New Year Honours list.
Double Olympic champion Mo Farah, plus heptathlete Jessica Ennis, rower Katherine Grainger and cyclist Victoria Pendleton have each been made a CBE. They all won gold in London.
Paralympic athlete David Weir, who won four gold medals at the 2012 Paralympics, becomes a CBE.
Bradley Wiggins and Ben Ainslie are knighted. Sarah Storey is made a dame.
GB cycling performance director Dave Brailsford and rowing chief David Tanner also receive knighthoods.
Britain’s remarkable sporting year is reflected in a list dominated by athletes and coaches from the London Games.
Farah, 29, completed the 5,000m and 10,000m double in August, while Ennis claimed victory in the heptathlon. Grainger, 37, won gold at her fourth attempt, having taken silver in Sydney, Athens and Beijing.
Pendleton retired on a high after adding a gold and a silver to the gold medal she won in Beijing four years ago.
Weir’s achievements saw him shortlisted for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award after a year in which he won four Paralympic gold medals to add to his two from Beijing. The 33-year-old also won his sixth London Marathon.
Dressage star Charlotte Dujardin and cyclists Jason Kenny and Laura Trott, who all won double gold at London 2012, have received OBEs, as has Andy Murray, who won the Olympic men’s singles title before adding a maiden Grand Slam at the US Open.
Paralympic dressage star Sophie Christiansen, who won three golds in the summer, and swimmer Ellie Simmonds, who was shortlisted for BBC Sport’s Personality of the year after winning two golds, a silver and bronze at London 2012, also get OBEs.
Simmonds, 18, said the award was the perfect way to round off a remarkable 2012 for her and her ParalympicsGB team-mates.
“It’s been a great honour to be included in the list, which caps an amazing year for me personally and for British sport,” she said.
In total, 29 athletes from ParalympicsGB have been recognised in the New Years Honours list following their achievements in the summer. Britain won a total of 120 medals, 34 of them gold, in London.
Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “Their performances on the field of play not only received rapturous applause from the crowds at London 2012 and viewers of the TV coverage – many of whom were experiencing Paralympic sport for the first time – but the 11 days of sport that we witnessed this summer also gripped the nation and changed many peoples’ perception of disability sport.
“It is fitting that so many of our gold medallists are offered some of the highest tributes possible, which reflect not only their sporting talent but also the sheer hard work and dedication that they put into preparing for their home Games.”
Other London 2012 gold medallists appointed MBEs include boxers Nicola Adams, Luke Campbell and Anthony Joshua. GB boxing coach Robert McCracken, who also trains super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch, also gets an MBE.
Triathlete Alistair Brownlee, taekwondo star Jade Jones and shooter Peter Wilson are also recognised.
Rowers Katherine Copeland, Helen Glover, Alex Gregory, Heather Stanning, Sophie Hoskin, Hannah Watkins, kayaker Ed McKeever and canoeist Etienne Stott, are also among those appointed MBE.
Gymnast Louis Smith, who won team bronze and individual silver at the Games, is made an MBE, a week after becoming the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing champion.
“To receive this honour is out of this world and something I never would have dreamt of as I grew up in the sport of gymnastics,” said the 23-year-old Smith.
“This year has been like no other for so many reasons. I wasn’t sure it could get any better but to be awarded an MBE is the icing on the cake and without a doubt the proudest moment of my life.”
A number of coaches also become MBEs, including Malcolm Brown (triathlon), Ian Coley (shooting), Will Connell (equestrian), Paul Hall (gymnastics), David Howlett (sailing), Paul Thompson (rowing) and Robin Williams (rowing).
OLYMPIANS IN NEW YEAR HONOURS
Knighthood: Ben Ainslie – sailing, Bradley Wiggins – cycling
CBE: Katherine Grainger – rowing, Jessica Ennis – athletics, Mo Farah – athletics, Victoria Pendleton – cycling
OBE: Charlotte Dujardin – equestrian, Jason Kenny – cycling, Andy Murray – tennis, Laura Trott – cycling
MBE: Nicola Adams – boxing, Tim Baillie – canoeing, Laura Bechtolsheimer – equestrian, Scott Brash – equestrian, Alistair Brownlee – triathlon, Steven Burke – cycling, Luke Campbell – boxing, Peter Charles – equestrian, Katherine Copeland – rowing, Helen Glover – rowing, Alex Gregory – rowing, Carl Hester – equestrian, Philip Hindes – cycling, Sophie Hosking – rowing, Jade Jones – taekwondo, Anthony Joshua – boxing, Peter Kennaugh – cycling, Dani King – cycling, Mary King – equestrian, Ben Maher – equestrian, Ed McKeever – canoeing, Joanna Rowsell – cycling, Greg Rutherford – athletics, Louis Smith – gymnastics, Heather Stanning – rowing, Etienne Stott – canoeing, Anna Watkins – rowing, Peter Wilson – shooting.
PARALYMPIANS IN NEW YEAR HONOURS
Dame: Sarah Storey – cycling
CBE: David Weir – athletics
OBE: Sophie Christiansen – equestrian, Ellie Simmonds – swimming
MBE: Jessica-Jane Applegate – athletics, Natasha Baker – equestrian, Danielle Brown – archery, Mickey Bushell – athletics, Hannah Cockroft – athletics, Mark Colbourne – cycling, Josef Craig – swimming, Deborah Criddle – equestrian, Aled Davies – athletics, Neil Fachie – cycling, Jonathan Fox – swimming, Heather Frederiksen – swimming, Oliver Hynd – swimming, Helena Lucas – sailing, Craig MacLean – cycling, Nigel Murray – boccia, Jonnie Peacock – athletics, Josie Pearson – athletics, Pam Relph – rowing, Naomi Riches – rowing, James Roe – rowing, David Smith – rowing, Lily van den Broecke – rowing, Sophie Wells – equestrian, Richard Whitehead – athletics.
