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12-31-2008, 09:05 AM
Britain's Olympic heroes dominate the sporting New Year Honours list, with cyclist Chris Hoy knighted.
Team-mate Bradley Wiggins and sailing star Ben Ainslie are appointed CBEs, while double gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington becomes an OBE.
Team GB cycling performance director Dave Brailsford is appointed CBE, as is rowing counterpart David Tanner.
Lewis Hamilton becomes an MBE after becoming Formula One's youngest world champion in only his second season.
Reading FC chairman John Madejski receives a knighthood for his charity work, and BBC cricket commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins is appointed MBE.
Hoy dominated on the track in Beijing
Scotland's Hoy, recently crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, became the first Briton in 100 years to win three golds at an Olympics with his success in Beijing in August.
Hoy has a double reason to celebrate as his mother Carol, who is a retired nurse, is appointed MBE for her work on sleep-related illnesses.
"To become a knight from riding your bike, it's mad," said the 32-year-old Hoy.
"It feels a bit strange to be honest. I still can't quite believe it.
"It's incredible and I'm absolutely delighted. To be given a knighthood is an enormous honour - it means so much to me and also to my family."
Sailor Ainslie is honoured after winning his third straight sailing gold in Beijing to add to a silver from Atlanta in 1996, while track cyclist Wiggins is similarly recognised after claiming two gold medals in Beijing to take his Olympic medal tally to six.
Disabled swimmer David Roberts and rider Lee Pearson also become CBEs.
Roberts won four golds in Beijing to equal Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of 11 Paralympic titles, while Pearson won three equestrian Paralympic golds.
Adlington, 19, who finished third in the vote at Sports Personality of the Year, was honoured for becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic gold in the pool since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960.
"I'm absolutely delighted to receive the OBE - it is fantastic to be recognised in the New Year Honours," she said.
"There are so many amazing names on the list, it's something I'll treasure for the rest of my life."
Sailors Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Iain Percy also become OBEs for winning their second Olympic gold medals in Beijing, as does rower Steve Williams, who added another coxless four gold to the one he won in Athens.
Disabled swimmer Eleanor Simmonds is appointed MBE after becoming Britain's youngest ever individual Paralympic gold medallist in Beijing, aged 13. She is also the youngest person to receive the honour.
"The last three months have been a whirlwind and I feel as though I am living in a fairy tale," she said.
Gold medal-winning cyclists Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, Paul Manning, Nicole Cooke, Victoria Pendleton and Rebecca Romero also become MBEs, taking the list of Beijing Olympic cyclists to be honoured to 10.
"Everybody in our team dedicate their lives to the pursuit of a dream - to win a gold medal," said Brailsford.
"When they do get recognised in this way it is breathtaking and a fantastic honour."
Olympic champion rowers Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter, Andy Triggs-Hodge, Tom James, and Peter Reed all become MBEs alongside gold medal-winning canoeist Tim Brabants.
Beijing sailing champions Paul Goodison, Andrew Simpson and Pippa Wilson, who won her first gold alongside Ayton and Webb, are also appointed MBEs.
Christine Ohuruogu, the 400m champion who was the only British athlete to win a track and field gold in Beijing, is similarly appointed MBE, as is gold medal-winning boxer James DeGale.
GB sailing team manager Stephen Park becomes an OBE and boxing coach Terry Edwards becomes an MBE.
Hamilton's MBE rounds off an astonishing year after he won won the Formula One championship in 2008 and was Sports Personality of the Year runner-up.
The 23-year-old McLaren driver received a personally written note of congratulations from the Queen.
"It is a massive honour and incredible privilege," said Hamilton.
"It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me."
BBC SPORT
Team-mate Bradley Wiggins and sailing star Ben Ainslie are appointed CBEs, while double gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington becomes an OBE.
Team GB cycling performance director Dave Brailsford is appointed CBE, as is rowing counterpart David Tanner.
Lewis Hamilton becomes an MBE after becoming Formula One's youngest world champion in only his second season.
Reading FC chairman John Madejski receives a knighthood for his charity work, and BBC cricket commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins is appointed MBE.
Hoy dominated on the track in Beijing
Scotland's Hoy, recently crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, became the first Briton in 100 years to win three golds at an Olympics with his success in Beijing in August.
Hoy has a double reason to celebrate as his mother Carol, who is a retired nurse, is appointed MBE for her work on sleep-related illnesses.
"To become a knight from riding your bike, it's mad," said the 32-year-old Hoy.
"It feels a bit strange to be honest. I still can't quite believe it.
"It's incredible and I'm absolutely delighted. To be given a knighthood is an enormous honour - it means so much to me and also to my family."
Sailor Ainslie is honoured after winning his third straight sailing gold in Beijing to add to a silver from Atlanta in 1996, while track cyclist Wiggins is similarly recognised after claiming two gold medals in Beijing to take his Olympic medal tally to six.
Disabled swimmer David Roberts and rider Lee Pearson also become CBEs.
Roberts won four golds in Beijing to equal Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of 11 Paralympic titles, while Pearson won three equestrian Paralympic golds.
Adlington, 19, who finished third in the vote at Sports Personality of the Year, was honoured for becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic gold in the pool since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960.
"I'm absolutely delighted to receive the OBE - it is fantastic to be recognised in the New Year Honours," she said.
"There are so many amazing names on the list, it's something I'll treasure for the rest of my life."
Sailors Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Iain Percy also become OBEs for winning their second Olympic gold medals in Beijing, as does rower Steve Williams, who added another coxless four gold to the one he won in Athens.
Disabled swimmer Eleanor Simmonds is appointed MBE after becoming Britain's youngest ever individual Paralympic gold medallist in Beijing, aged 13. She is also the youngest person to receive the honour.
"The last three months have been a whirlwind and I feel as though I am living in a fairy tale," she said.
Gold medal-winning cyclists Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, Paul Manning, Nicole Cooke, Victoria Pendleton and Rebecca Romero also become MBEs, taking the list of Beijing Olympic cyclists to be honoured to 10.
"Everybody in our team dedicate their lives to the pursuit of a dream - to win a gold medal," said Brailsford.
"When they do get recognised in this way it is breathtaking and a fantastic honour."
Olympic champion rowers Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter, Andy Triggs-Hodge, Tom James, and Peter Reed all become MBEs alongside gold medal-winning canoeist Tim Brabants.
Beijing sailing champions Paul Goodison, Andrew Simpson and Pippa Wilson, who won her first gold alongside Ayton and Webb, are also appointed MBEs.
Christine Ohuruogu, the 400m champion who was the only British athlete to win a track and field gold in Beijing, is similarly appointed MBE, as is gold medal-winning boxer James DeGale.
GB sailing team manager Stephen Park becomes an OBE and boxing coach Terry Edwards becomes an MBE.
Hamilton's MBE rounds off an astonishing year after he won won the Formula One championship in 2008 and was Sports Personality of the Year runner-up.
The 23-year-old McLaren driver received a personally written note of congratulations from the Queen.
"It is a massive honour and incredible privilege," said Hamilton.
"It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me."
BBC SPORT