Following a record-breaking year for Team GB, Olympic athletes have once again been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. The list of awards includes a damehood for Katherine Grainger, the first female Olympian to win five medals at five games, for services to rowing and charity; and a damehood for Jessica Ennis-Hill for services to athletics; knighthoods for Mo Farah also for services to athletics and to Andy Murray for services to tennis and charity.
Gold medal winning hockey team are awarded MBEs with retiring captain Kate Richardson-Walsh receiving an OBE alongside Nicola Adams; while Charlotte Dujardin and Laura Kenny receive CBEs.
In addition, the British Olympic Association’s Mark England and Paul Ford have been awarded an OBE and MBE respectively.
Mark England led the whole 366-strong athlete delegation in Rio as Chef de Mission with Team GB becoming the first nation to win more medals at the Games immediately after hosting with 67 bettering the 65 won at London 2012.
Ford headed up Team GB’s pre-Games preparation camp in Belo Horizonte which hosted 164 athletes across 14 sports in world-class facilities prior to their arrival in Rio.
Sir Hugh Robertson, Chairman of the BOA said: “2016 has been a remarkable and truly memorable year for Team GB and Olympic sport in the United Kingdom. To end on such a high with the Olympians recognised in the highest possible manner is testament to their historic achievements.
“As well as the athletes, it is also of great pride to the British Olympic Association to see both Mark England, as Team GB’s Chef de Mission and Paul Ford, as Prep-camp Manager, receive Honours for their work this year in leading the delegation as a whole and our pre-Games preparation camp respectively.
“Their efforts, along with the wider team behind the team, played a crucial role in Team GB’s success in Rio and these accolades are richly deserved.”
Bill Sweeney, CEO of the BOA said: “We have become an Olympic powerhouse in recent years and that is in no small part to the considerable talent and effort exuded by these athletes who continue to unite and inspire the nation. Their presence in the New Year’s Honours is fantastic to see following the record-breaking success of Rio 2016.
“In Mark England and Paul Ford, the British Olympic Association has two individuals who have committed six years to the Rio project and help develop world-leading environments for Team GB’s athletes to compete at their very best when it matters most. There is a first class team behind our athletes and it’s great to see two of these quite rightly recognised.”
List of Rio 2016 Olympians and British Olympic Committee Staff together with their respective award:
Damehoods: Jessica Ennis-Hill, Katherine Grainger
Knighthoods: Mo Farah, Andy Murray
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE): Charlotte Dujardin, Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny, Nick Skelton
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): Nicola Adams, Ed Clancy, Mark England (Team GB Chef de Mission, Rio 2016), Peter Reed, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Andrew Triggs-Hodge
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): Giselle Ansley, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Paul Bennett, Sophie Bray, Saskia Clark, Joe Clarke, Crista Cullen, Alex Danson, Owain Doull, Scott Durant, Dr Paul Ford (Pre-Games Manager, British Olympic Association), Matthew Gotrel, Liam Heath, Maddie Hinch, Phelan Hill, Matthew Langridge, Jack Laugher, Constantine Louloudis, Hannah MacLeod, Shona McCallin, Chris Mears, Hannah Mills, George Nash, Lily Owsley, Adam Peaty, Samantha Quek, Thomas Ransley, Helen Richardson-Walsh, Justin Rose, William Satch, Mo Sbihi, Giles Scott, Susannah Townsend, Georgie Twigg, Laura Unsworth, Hollie Webb, Nicola White, Max Whitlock
Report courtesy of Team GB Press Office
