Top honours for Farah and Ennis-Hill
TWO of Great Britain’s greatest track and field athletes, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill, lead the list of sporting stars to be acknowledged in the New Year Honours. Farah, 33, said it was ‘incredible’ to be given a knighthood after he retained his Olympic 5,000 metres and 10,000m titles in Rio last summer, while Ennis-Hill, 30, will become a Dame after calling time on a glittering career which included three heptathlon world titles and Olympic gold at London 2012. Scottish rower Katherine Grainger, 41, is awarded a damehood after she became Britain’s most decorated female Olympian with a silver medal in Rio — her fifth medal at a fifth successive Games. Paralympian Lee Pearson, 42, will also become a knight for services to equestrianism after winning his 11th gold in Rio. Farah said: ‘I’m so happy to be awarded this incredible honour from the country that has been my home since I moved here at the age of eight. ‘Looking back at the boy who arrived here from Somalia, not speaking any English, I could never have imagined where I would be today — it’s a dream come true.’ Grainger admitted her new title would take some getting used to, and dedicated her damehood to those she has worked with during her career. She said: ‘Something like this, which is something you can never really aim for or find your way to get, takes quite a while to get used to. ‘It is lovely that this reflects the efforts everyone has put in — team-mates, colleagues, crew-mates and coaches. ‘It is something which none of us (athletes) ever expects or sets out to try to achieve.’