Former world champion Steve Cram is one of six past and present British Olympic heroes to be recognised on the New Year’s Honours list.
Joining him are current Great Britain hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh and retired greats Euan Burton, Dame Mary Peters, Sir Adrian Cadbury and Wendy Sly, all of whom have made extraordinary impacts to sport.
Steve Cram – appointed CBE
The ‘Jarrow Arrow’ was a sensation in the 1980s, becoming the first man to run the 1500m in under three minutes and 30 seconds and hauling in a glut of major championship medals.
He won seven golds in total – across World, European, and Commonwealth Games – and clinched silver at the 1984 Olympics.
After retirement Cram took his talents into presenting, commentating and coaching, having helped Laura Weightman to Commonwealth Games silver earlier this year.
His latest accolade is being appointed CBE for his work heading up the English Institute of Sport.
Kate Richardson-Walsh – appointed MBE
Richardson-Walsh has been honoured with an MBE for services to hockey after a glittering career to date.
The 34-year-old first appeared on the international scene in 1999 and has been a Great Britain mainstay ever since, going onto help clinch team bronze at London 2012 – despite suffering a broken jaw in the opening game.
Now Richardson-Walsh, who also has four medals in her cabinet from the Commonwealth Games, is aiming to spur Great Britain onto bigger and better things at Rio 2016.
Euan Burton – appointed MBE
Euan Burton retired with a bang this year and his MBE illustrates the huge impact he made on British judo.
He crowned his career by clinching Commonwealth Games gold in Scotland colours in front of a home crowd, having picked up a slew of medals in World and European Championships over the years.
A London Olympian, Burton, 35, initially picked up judo in an effort to overcome shyness and is now coaching the next generation how to achieve their own dreams.
Dame Mary Peters – appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour
The tireless Peters was made a Dame in 2000 and has continued to impact sport and the community in Northern Ireland since the turn of the millennium.
She won Olympic gold at Munich in 1972 in the pentathlon but her work off the track has even surpassed that achievement.
She has worked to raise money for a variety of good causes much of which comes through the Mary Peters Trust, which helps young people to achieve excellence in sport.
Wendy Sly – appointed MBE
Wendy Sly’s legacy in distance running is so great that despite calling it a day more than two decades ago, she ranks in Great Britain’s all-time top ten lists for 3,000m and 10,000m on the track, as well as the 10km and 15km road races.
Her greatest Olympic accomplishment was a silver medal at Los Angeles 1984 over 3,000m and she also achieved gold at the World Road Race Championships in 1983.
Sir Adrian Cadbury - appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour
Sir Adrian has led a long and active life - not at least as chairman of Cadbury - and in his youth was a British Olympic rower, competing in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.
Also a former director of the Bank of England, the 85-year-old has been integral to the continued development of Aston University, where he served as chancellor for 25 years.
© Sportsbeat 2014