Sir Mo Farah and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill recognised in New Year Honours

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah has received a knighthood and heptathlon star Jessica Ennis-Hill has become a Dame in the 2017 New Year Honours list, while Sir Roger Bannister has been made a companion of honour.

Bannister, who in 1954 became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes and is also a celebrated neurologist, receives his award for services to sport.

Both Farah and Ennis-Hill receive their honours for services to athletics.

Farah, who had been made a CBE in 2013, successfully defended both his 5000m and 10,000m titles at the Rio Olympics, completing a distance ‘double double’ to take his haul of global golds to nine overall.

Only one other man – Finland’s Lasse Viren – has successfully defended both titles, having done so at the Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976 Olympics.

The 33-year-old Farah also ran the quickest 5000m in the world this year, broke the British 3000m record, claimed world half-marathon bronze and won the Great North Run for a third consecutive year.

“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,” said Farah. “Looking back at the boy who arrived here from …

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