Murray knighted in New Year Honours
British tennis champion Andy Murray and athlete Mo Farah have been knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.
Paralympic dressage rider Lee Pearson also becomes a Sir, while heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and rower Katherine Grainger are made dames.
There are CBEs for cyclists Jason and Laura Kenny, swimmer Sascha Kindred and equestrians Charlotte Dujardin, Nick Skelton and Sophie Christiansen.
Former athlete Sir Roger Bannister is made a Companion of Honour.
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Boxer Nicola Adams, Great Britain hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh and Wales football manager Chris Coleman receive OBEs.
Other OBEs include rowers Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge, cyclist Ed Clancy, Paralympians Jody Cundy and Anne Dunham and racehorse trainer John Gosden.
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew is made a MBE, as are a host of gold medal winners from the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio, with more than 100 people in sport included on the list.
Great Britain’s women’s hockey players – including Richardson-Walsh’s wife Helen – are all honoured, together with other champions including gymnast Max Whitlock, swimmer Adam Peaty, golfer Justin Rose, and Paralympic gold medal-winning cyclist and athlete Kadeena Cox.
An extraordinary year for Murray
Becoming a Sir caps a landmark 12 months for Wimbledon and Olympic champion Andy Murray, 29.
February 2016: Has first child as wife Kim gives birth to daughter Sophia
June 2016: Becomes Wimbledon champion for the second time
August 2016: Defends Olympic singles title in Rio
November 2016: Replaces Novak Djokovic as world number one
December 2016: Wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year for record third time; knighted in New Year Honours List
Scot Murray, previously honoured with an OBE in 2012, had said he was “too young” for a knighthood.
Dream come true – Farah
Mo Farah, 33, completed a ‘double double’ in Rio as he won his fourth Olympic gold and became only the second man to retain the 5,000m and 10,000m titles.
His knighthood completes a remarkable journey for the runner who moved from Somalia to England aged eight.
“Looking back at the boy who arrived here from Somalia, not speaking a world of English, I could never have imagined where I would be today – it’s a dream come true,” he said.
Dressage rider Lee Pearson carried the flag for Great Britain during the Paralympic opening ceremony and went on to win the 11th gold medal of his career.
The decorated Paralympian already held the MBE, OBE and CBE for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport.
“I think it’s been the biggest surprise of my life,” he told Sky Sports.
“You receive a letter asking you to accept the honour and ever since sending the envelope back to the prime minister I’ve hardly slept. It’s just been really surreal. I’m just a bloke from Stoke-on-Trent.”
At 87, Sir Roger Bannister has chalked up another significant achievement. The first man to run a mile in under four minutes, in 1954, he joins an elite group as a Companion of Honour – a special award for service of conspicuous national importance limited to 65 people at a time.
Recipients wear the initials CH after their name and members currently include Stephen Hawking and Desmond Tutu.
Sporting dames
Jessica Ennis-Hill, 30, announced in October she was retiring from athletics after winning an Olympics silver medal in the summer.
She secured heptathlon gold at the London 2012 Olympics and will be awarded her third World Championship after Tatyana Chernova was stripped of the 2011 title.
“What a team to have been apart of. Dame…truly truly honoured!” she posted on Twitter.
Five-time medallist Katherine Grainger, who also becomes a dame, is Britain’s most decorated female Olympian after taking silver alongside Victoria Thornley in the double sculls.
The 41-year-old won gold in London after silvers in Sydney, Athens and Beijing.
Riders rewarded
Cycling’s so-called ‘golden couple’ Jason and Laura Kenny are made CBEs.
The pair, who boast 10 Olympic gold medals between them, were married in September.
Show jumper Nick Skelton finally claimed an individual Olympic title, riding Big Star, at his seventh Games – aged 58, he was Britain’s second oldest gold medallist.
Three dressage wins at the Paralympics for Sophie Christiansen took the 29-year-old’s Games career gold medal total to eight.
Aboard Valegro, Charlotte Dujardin, 31, retained her Olympic dressage title, while Sascha Kindred, 39, won his seventh Paralympic swimming title in Rio.
There is also a CBE for British Paralympic Association chairman Tim Reddish.
Adams proves a knockout
Nicola Adams became the first British boxer to retain an Olympic crown for 92 years by winning the flyweight title in Rio.
Kate Richardson-Walsh is also given an OBE after captaining Great Britain’s women to a first Olympic hockey gold medal.
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In football, Chris Coleman guided Wales to the semi-finals at Euro 2016, their first appearance at a major tournament since 1958.
There are OBEs for cyclist Ed Clancy, part of the victorious team pursuit in Brazil, plus Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge, after rowing golds at a third consecutive Olympics.
Also receiving an OBE are former swimmer turned cyclist Jody Cundy – who has represented GB at six Paralympics, winning seven golds – and Para-dressage rider Anne Dunham, who won team gold and two individual silvers in Rio, aged 67.
John Gosden, who has trained more than 3,000 winners, is honoured for services to horse racing.
Team GB’s Olympic chef de mission Mark England and his ParalympicsGB equivalent Penny Briscoe are recognised, as is former Commonwealth Games Scotland chairman Michael Cavanagh.
From TMS to MBE for Aggers
Among the MBEs are Northern Ireland football manager Michael O’Neill and former cricketer Jonathan Agnew, a regular on the BBC’s Test Match Special, who temporarily switched to Olympic equestrian commentary in the summer.
Cyclists Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker become MBEs as do sailor Saskia Clark and divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears.
Swimmer Bethany Firth, who was ParalympicsGB’s most successful athlete in Rio with three golds and a silver, is on the list along with Ellie Robinson, who claimed gold in the pool aged 15.
Double Rio Paralympics athletics gold medallists Georgie Hermitage and Libby Clegg and wheelchair tennis champion Gordon Reid are all made MBEs.
Chelsea Ladies winger Karen Carney, referee Sian Massey-Ellis, Arsenal Ladies defender Alex Scott and racing driver Susie Wolff are honoured, while Brian Robinson will receive the British Empire Medal for services to cycling and charity.
Hillsborough campaigner Professor Phil Scraton turned down an OBE.
The author, who led the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s research team, said he could not receive an honour, and had made that decision in protest “at those who remained unresponsive” to help families and survivors affected by the 1989 disaster in which 96 football fans died.
All the sporting honours
KNIGHTHOOD
Mo FARAH, CBE, for services to athletics, London; Andy MURRAY, OBE, for services to tennis and charity, Surrey; Lee PEARSON, CBE, for services to equestrianism, Staffordshire.
DAMEHOOD
Jessica ENNIS-HILL, CBE, for services to athletics, Sheffield; Katherine GRAINGER, CBE, for services to sport and charity, Maidenhead.
COMMANDERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (CBE)
Sophie CHRISTIANSEN, OBE, for services to para-equestrianism, Maidenhead; Charlotte DUJARDIN, OBE, for services to equestrianism, Gloucestershire; Jason KENNY, OBE, for services to cycling, Cheshire; Laura KENNY, OBE, for services to cycling, Cheshire; Sascha KINDRED, OBE, for services to swimming, Hertfordshire; Tim REDDISH, OBE, British Paralympic Association chairman, for services to sport, Nottinghamshire; Nick SKELTON, OBE, for services to equestrianism, Warwickshire.
OFFICERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (OBE)
Nicola ADAMS, MBE, for services to boxing, Leeds; Penny BRISCOE, MBE, Great Britain chef de mission for Rio 2016 Paralympics, for services to sport, Nottinghamshire; Michael CAVANAGH, for services to sport and the Commonwealth Games movement, Haddington, East Lothian; Ed CLANCY, MBE, for services to cycling, Holmbridge, West Yorkshire; Chris COLEMAN, Wales football team manager, for services to football, Winchester; Jody CUNDY, MBE, for services to cycling and swimming, Greater Manchester; Anne DUNHAM, MBE, for services to para-equestrianism, Devizes; Mark ENGLAND, Team GB chef de mission and British Olympic Associations director of sport, for services to sport, Guildford; John GOSDEN, for services to horseracing and training, Newmarket, Suffolk; Tim HOLLINGSWORTH, British Paralympic Association chief executive officer, for services to sport, Bath; Alison KERVIN, Mail on Sunday sports editor, for services to sports journalism, East Molesey, Surrey; Pete REED, MBE, for services to rowing, London; Kate RICHARDSON-WALSH, MBE, for services to hockey, Maidenhead; Peter ROWLEY, for services to sports administration, Darlington; Andrew TRIGGS HODGE, MBE, for services to rowing, Checkendon, Oxfordshire.
MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE)
Tim ADAMS, for services to horseracing and rugby league, Leeds; Jonathan AGNEW, sports broadcaster, for services to broadcasting, Scalford, Leicestershire; John ALLEN, for services to athletics in Northern Ireland, Dundonald, Down; Giselle ANSLEY, for services to hockey, Devon; Katie ARCHIBALD, for services to cycling, Edinburgh; Hollie ARNOLD, for services to field athletics, Gwent; Elinor BARKER, for services to cycling, Greater Manchester; Sally BARKER, for services to sport and women’s participation in sport, Guildford; Stephen BATE, for services to cycling, Hebden Bridge; Will BAYLEY, for services to table tennis, Rotherham; Paul BENNETT, for services to rowing, Leeds; Paul BLAKE, for services to athletics, Redland, Bristol; Sophie BRAY, for services to hockey, Claygate, Surrey; Daniel BROWN, for services to rowing, Reading; Joanne BUTTERFIELD, for services to field athletics, Govan, Glasgow; Jon-Allan BUTTERWORTH, for services to cycling, Sale, Greater Manchester; Karen CARNEY, England and Chelsea Ladies, for services to football, Birmingham; Claire CASHMORE, for services to swimming, Kidderminster; Jeanette CHIPPINGTON, for services to canoeing, Maidenhead; Saskia CLARK, for services to sailing, Poole; Chris CLARKE, for services to sport, Loughborough; Joe CLARKE, for services to canoeing, Waltham Abbey, Essex; Elizabeth CLEGG, for services to athletics and charity, Loughborough; Grace CLOUGH, for services to rowing, Sheffield; Kadeena COX, for services to athletics, Leeds; Crista CULLEN, for services to hockey, London; Alex DANSON, for services to hockey, Marlow, Buckinghamshire; Karen DARKE, for services to sport – particularly cycling and triathlon, Inverness; Rob DAVIES, for services to table tennis, Brecon, Powys; Anne DICKINS, for services to canoeing, Oxted, Surrey; Owain DOULL, for services to cycling, Cardiff; Adam DUGGLEBY, for services to cycling, Leeds; Scott DURANT, for services to rowing, Halton, Lancashire; Lora FACHIE, for services to cycling, Altrincham; Robert FAHEY, lately Real Tennis world champion, for services to sport, Feering, Essex; Bethany FIRTH, for services to swimming, Downpatrick, Down; Fab FLOURNOY, for services to British Basketball and the community in the North East, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear; Paul FORD, British Olympic Association pre-Games manager, for services to sport, West Sussex; James FOX, for services to rowing, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire; Jo FRITH, for services to archery, Glastonbury, Somerset; Megan GIGLIA, for services to cycling, Stockport; Matt GOTREL, for services to rowing, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire; Sophie HAHN, for services to athletics, Widmerpool, Nottinghamshire; Corrine HALL, for services to cycling, Greater Manchester; Liam HEATH, for services to canoeing, Maidenhead; Robert Welby HENRY, for services to medicine and the sport of horse racing in Northern Ireland, Ballynahinch, Down; Georgina HERMITAGE, for services to athletics, Alton, Hampshire; Phelan HILL, for services to rowing, London; Maddie HINCH, for services to hockey, Maidenhead; Trefor Lloyd HUGHES, for services to football in Wales particularly Anglesey, Holyhead, Anglesey; Paul HUTCHINS, for services to tennis, London; Oliver JAMES, for services to rowing, London; Michael JONES, for services to swimming, Greater Manchester; Colin KING, for services to football and BAME inclusion in sport, London; Matt LANGRIDGE, for services to rowing, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire; Jack LAUGHER, for services to diving, Ripon, North Yorkshire; Andy LEWIS, for services to triathlon, Lydney, Gloucestershire; Claire LOMAS, for charitable and voluntary services to spinal injury research, Melton Mowbray; Constantine LOULOUDIS, for services to rowing, London; Hannah MACLEOD, for services to hockey, Maidenhead; Joanna MANNING-COOPER, for services to sport, West Byfleet, Surrey; Sian MASSEY-ELLIS, football referee, for services to football, Coventry; Kathleen McBRIDE, for services to sport and the community in Coleraine; Coleraine, Londonderry; Shona McCALLIN, for services to hockey, Newark, Nottinghamshire; Chris MEARS, services to diving, Leeds; Hannah MILLS, for services to sailing, Portland, Dorset; Stephanie MILLWARD, for services to swimming, Box, Wiltshire; Aaron MOORES, for services to swimming, Sketty, Swansea; Rachel MORRIS, for services to rowing, Farnham, Surrey; Samuel MORSHEAD, lately general manager Perth Racecourse, for services to the UK horseracing and charity, Comrie, Perth and Kinross; Marion MURDOCH, sportscotland, for services to sport particularly curling; Helen MURRAY, for services to swimming in Scotland, Longniddry, East Lothian; George NASH, for services to rowing, London; Jonathan NORFOLK, Great Britain para-cycling head coach, for services to cycling, Wilmslow, Cheshire; Robert NORTHRIDGE, for services to rowing and community relations in Northern Ireland, Enniskillen, Fermanagh; Michael O’NEILL, Northern Ireland football team manager, for services to football and the community in Northern Ireland, Edinburgh; Bill OWEN, for services to cycling particularly in Wales, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire; Lily OWSLEY, for services to hockey, Maidenhead; Adam PEATY, for services to swimming, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire; Hilary PHILBIN, British Fencing president, for services to fencing and sports administration, Romsey, Hampshire; Sam QUEK, for services to hockey, Birkenhead, Merseyside; Tom RANSLEY, for services to rowing, Ashford, Kent; Gordon REID, for services to wheelchair tennis, Glasgow; Helen RICHARDSON-WALSH, for services to hockey, Maidenhead; Ellie ROBINSON, for services to swimming, Great Houghton, Northamptonshire; Susie RODGERS, for services to swimming, London; Louis ROLFE, for services to cycling, Cambridgeshire; Justin ROSE, for services to golf, Fleet, Hampshire; Lauren ROWLES, for services to rowing, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire; Hannah RUSSELL, for services to swimming, Chertsey, Surrey; Will SATCH, for services to rowing, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire; Mohamed SBIHI, for services to rowing, London; Alex SCOTT, England and Arsenal Ladies defender, for services to football, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire; Giles SCOTT, for services to sailing, Weymouth, Dorset; Helen SCOTT, for services to cycling, Halesowen, West Midlands; Stephanie SLATER, for services to swimming, Preston; David SMITH, for services to Boccia, Strand, Swansea; Mike STEPHENSON, for services to rugby league and sports broadcasting; Jessica STRETTON, for services to archery, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire; Alice TAI, for services to swimming, Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire; Manisha TAILOR, for services to football and diversity in sport, London; Sophie THORNHILL, for services to cycling, Poynton, Cheshire; Susannah TOWNSEND, for services to hockey, Canterbury; Georgina TWIGG, for services to hockey, London; Laura UNSWORTH, for services to hockey, London; Edmund VAN HOOF, British Gymnastics head coach and men’s technical director, for services to gymnastics, Telford, Shropshire; Ian WALKER, for services to Olympic and international competitive sailing, Southampton; John WALKER, for services to archery, Newport, Shropshire; Hollie WEBB, for services to hockey, Maidenhead; Nicola WHITE, for services to hockey, London; Laurence WHITELEY, for services to rowing, Northallerton, North Yorkshire; Max WHITLOCK, for services to gymnastics, Pitsea, Essex; Emma WIGGS, for services to canoeing, Diseworth, Leicestershire; Susie WOLFF, for services to women in sport, abroad; Matthew WYLIE, for services to swimming, Washington, Tyne and Wear.
MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF THE COMPANIONS OF HONOUR
Sir Roger BANNISTER, CBE, for services to sport, Oxfordshire.
MEDALLIST OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (BEM)
Brian ROBINSON, for services to cycling and charity, Mirfield, West Yorkshire.