Track and field athletics once again enjoys a number of awards as 2022 draws to a close
Denise Lewis is now a dame after being awarded a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to sport in her role as president of Commonwealth Games England.
The former heptathlete turned 50 in August and during the same month she helped oversee the successful Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
She joined the Commonwealth Games England board in 2016 having taken over the role from Dame Kelly Holmes. And last month Commonwealth Games England announced that Lewis will extend her period as president to take in the Victoria 2026 Games.
This follows an athletics career that saw her win Olympic gold at Sydney 2000, plus European gold in 1998 and Commonwealth titles in 1994 and 1998.
In 1999 she was awarded an MBE followed by an OBE in 2001. But she will now be known as Dame Denise.
Lewis is one of several people involved in the success of Birmingham 2022 to be recognised by King Charles in the new year honours. John Crabtree, for example, is knighted for his services to sport after having chaired the Commonwealth Games organising committee, while Ian Reid, the CEO of the organising committee, receives an OBE.
Sporting awards in these new year honours are dominated by footballers from the England Lionesses squad, but there are still several athletics-related honours to celebrate.
Aston Moore, the former two-time Commonwealth triple jump bronze medallist and long-time British athletics coach, has earned an MBE for services to his sport.
Aston Moore (Getty)
The 66-year-old is also an Olympian and since hanging up his spikes has become one of Britain’s most successful and popular coaches, guiding athletes such as Ashia Hansen and Phillips Idowu, plus current athletes such as Naomi Metzger, Ben Williams, Olivia Breen and Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
Wendy Haxell, a long-time technical officials and former member of the UK Athletics Members’ Council, has been given an OBE for services to athletics and to the community in Hampshire.
Peter Crawshaw, a volunteer at England Athletics, has been awarded an MBE for services to athletics. For more than 30 years he has held a variety of roles from athlete and club administrator to field official and facility assessor whereas he recently ended an eight-year spell as an England Athletics director.
Finally, David Cooney, a long-time member of Cambuslang Harriers AC, has been awarded a BEM for services to athletics. After his own competitive days as a runner, Cooney enjoyed success in team management and also had a stint as an AW contributor in the 1980s!
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