Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins led a parade of Olympic champions whose achievements in a remarkable summer of sport in Britain were recognised in the New Year Honours list on Saturday. The cyclist receives a knighthood, making him Sir Bradley, as did sailor Ben Ainslie, heading a glittering list of gold medal winners from the London Olympics.
Heptathlete Jessica Ennis, cyclist Victoria Pendleton and runner Mo Farah were all made CBEs, or Commanders of the Order of the British Empire. Wiggins, the first British winner of the Tour, said: "I never ever imagined that I would ever become a knight so it's an incredible honour.
"But there's a slight element of disbelief and it will take a while to sink in. "It's not something I'll use on a daily basis, but it's nice to have in the trophy cabinet as the ultimate accolade as a sportsman, being knighted by your country for not only the success this year but 12 years now of consistent work and performing - four Olympic Games, seven medals."
Wiggins, 32, said there had been "never any doubt" that he would accept the honour - some have refused it in the past on principle - but added: "It was more a case that I never saw myself as a sir, and I probably never will." Several British newspapers ran with the headline "Arise, Sir Wiggo", referring to him by his nickname. Ainslie, the most decorated Olympic sailor in history, said his knighthood was an "incredible honour", adding: "When I set out Olympic sailing twenty years ago, I never would have dreamt this would happen."
US Open champion Andy Murray was rewarded for becoming the first British man to win a Grand Slam title for 76 years with an OBE, or Order of the British Empire. There was also recognition for the chief organiser of the London Games, Sebastian Coe, who was made a Companion of Honour (CH).
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