Cavendish knighted in King's Birthday Honours

Mark Cavendish has won the points jersey at all three Grand Tours

Cyclist Mark Cavendish has been given a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours.

Cavendish won the men's road race at the 2011 World Championships and has sprinted to a record-equalling 34 Tour de France stage wins, matching Eddy Merckx's haul.

The 39-year-old from the Isle of Man will try to take the stage record outright at next month's Tour.

"I'm truly humbled to be honoured by His Majesty the King," said Cavendish, whose honour is for services to cycling and charity work.

"It's always been the biggest privilege to represent my country, and seeing cycling as the sport, pastime and mode of transport I've given my life to, grow in Great Britain during the span of my career has given me joy and pride beyond words.

"I'm truly thankful to everybody that has lived this journey with me."

Cavendish, who was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2011, announced his retirement in 2023 but reversed the decision to have a final attempt at the Tour de France stage wins record.

He has also had success as a track cyclist with Great Britain, winning three world titles in the madison event as well as an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Games in the omnium.

Elsewhere, former Scotland and Liverpool footballer Graeme Souness and ex-England cricketer Katherine Sciver-Brunt are among other sporting figures to be honoured.

Three-time European Cup winner, television pundit and former manager Souness receives a CBE for services to football and charity.

Souness, 71, is a vice-president of charity DEBRA UK and swam the English Channel in a relay team in June last year, helping to raise £4.5m for children affected by the rare and painful skin disorder epidermolysis bullosa (EB).

"I am delighted and humbled to receive this honour," Souness said.

"It is wonderful that the King has honoured me with a CBE and it is important to acknowledge the whole [DEBRA] team which works tirelessly to find solutions to the intolerable pain, itch and inflammation of this horrendous condition. This is for my friend Isla and everyone else living with EB."

Sciver-Brunt, who retired last year with a record 335 wickets for England women, gets an OBE for services to women's cricket and to the Yorkshire community.

"Representing my country for 19 years filled me with passion and pride," Sciver-Brunt said.

"It's the same feeling I get now when I think of receiving this award. It's such a great honour that I can one day share with my children."

Former Lioness Karen Carney, who won 144 caps for England and recently led a major review of the women's domestic game in England, is made an OBE for services to football.

Ex-Scotland striker Ally McCoist is awarded an OBE for services to football and broadcasting.

McCoist won 10 Scottish league titles with Rangers as a player, is a popular football pundit and was a team captain on BBC One's A Question Of Sport for 11 years.

His fellow Scot Sandy Lyle, who in 1988 became the first British golfer to win the Masters, is given an OBE for his services to golf.

"To have received an MBE in 1987 was beyond my expectations but to be honoured with an OBE is something of which I'm incredibly proud," Lyle said.

Ex-referee Wayne Barnes receives an OBE for his services to rugby union.

Barnes retired in November 2023, having officiated in 111 Test matches, including the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Graeme Souness are among a number of sports personalities named in the King's Birthday Honours

Others receiving honours included former BBC director of sport Barbara Slater, who is made a CBE for services to sports broadcasting.

The ex-Olympic gymnast had been in her role at the BBC for 15 years before she retired in March.

Former cyclist Chris Boardman, a gold medallist at the 1992 Olympics, is awarded a CBE for services to active travel.

An OBE goes to David McNulty, British Swimming's national lead coach who has guided Team GB to success in the pool at recent Olympics.

World Wheelchair Rugby president Richard Allcroft is awarded an OBE, as is Kevin Miles, chief executive of the Football Supporters' Association.

Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A which organises The Open, receives an OBE for services to golf.

Among those receiving an MBE is ultra runner Jasmin Paris who in March became the first woman to successfully complete the gruelling Barkley Marathons.

The Football Association's women's technical director Kay Cossington also becomes an MBE, as does former Wales footballer - now a referee - Cheryl Foster.

Scottish golfer Stephen Gallacher is made an MBE for services to his sport.

Former sprinter Anita Neil, who in 1968 became the first black woman to compete for Great Britain at an Olympic Games, receives an MBE for services to athletics.

Chris Powell, the ex-England and Charlton defender and current Sheffield Wednesday assistant boss, is made an MBE for services to football.

"I always thought that representing my country and the FA would be the pinnacle of my career, as both a player and a coach, but this honour is beyond my expectations," Powell said.

The King's Birthday Honours list for sport

Knighthood

Mark Cavendish (cyclist), for services to cycling and charity work

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Chris Boardman (former cyclist), for services to active travel

Barbara Slater (former director of BBC Sport and gymnast), for services to sports broadcasting

Graeme Souness (broadcaster and former footballer), for services to football and to charity

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Richard Allcroft (president, World Wheelchair Rugby), for services to wheelchair rugby

Wayne Barnes (former rugby referee), for services to rugby union

Karen Carney (broadcaster and former footballer), for services to football

Sandy Lyle (former golfer), for services to golf

Ally McCoist (broadcaster and former footballer), for services to football and to broadcasting

Kevin Miles (chief executive, Football Supporters' Association), for services to football

Katherine Sciver-Brunt (former cricketer) for services to women's cricket and to the community in Yorkshire

Martin Slumbers (chief executive officer and secretary, R&A/Royal and Ancient Golf Club), for services to golf

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Jeremy Adams, for services to disability sport

Jennifer Bott (coach), for services to gymnastics

Esther Britten (deputy director, head of major events, UK Sport), for services to sport

Penelope Broomhead (international Para-athletics classifier, World Para-Athletics), for services to international disability sport

Roy Corry, for services to athletics

Kay Cossington (women's technical director, Football Association) for services to football

Patrick Duffy, for services to Special Olympics sports and to young people, particularly those with learning disabilities in the Newry and District Gateway club

Cheryl Foster (football referee and former footballer), for services to football and to women's sport

Stephen Gallacher (golfer), for services to golf

Patricia Gregory (founding member of Women's Football Association), for services to national and international football and to charity

Elaine Hunniford, for services to young people and to safeguarding in sport

Dr Gerald Lobley, for services to chess in Scotland

Rachel Lynch (chief executive officer, the Community Network CIC and founder, the Urban Factory), for services to young people and to sport in North East England

Ian Martin, for services to sport and to charity

David McNulty (head coach, British Swimming performance centre), for services to swimming

Anita Neil (Olympic athlete), for services to athletics

Lisa O'Keefe (executive director, Sport England Insight), for services to sport

Richard Osborne (sitting volleyball coach), for services to disability sport

Jasmin Paris (ultra runner), for services to fell and long-distance running

John Pearce (council member, Football Association), for services to football

Chris Powell (football coach and former player), for services to football

Rebecca Redfern (swimmer), services to young people and to the community in Worcestershire

Derek Salisbury (chair, Neath Hockey Club), for services to hockey in south Wales

Alexander Steele (honorary life member of The Forty Cricket Club), for services to cricket and to people with interstitial lung disease

Stuart Storey (chair, Lea Recreation Society and chair, Wodson Park Trust), for services to sport and to the community in East Hertfordshire

Dean Stott, for services to sport, and to humanitarian and mental health awareness

Michelle Weltman, for voluntary and charitable services to disability sport and to the LGBTQI sporting community in London

British Empire Medal (BEM)

Brian Adams, for services to young people and sport

Harry Brodie (organiser, Wheelchair Curling Committee Scotland), for services to wheelchair curling

Janice Buckle, for services to Biggleswade Junior Badminton Club, Bedfordshire

David Burgess, for services to junior football in Peterborough

Hazel Burgess, for services to junior football in Peterborough

Catherine Coombs (president, junior coach, manager and child welfare officer, Redland Ladies Hockey Club), for services to hockey in Bristol

Robert Easson (director of rugby, Edinburgh Academical Football Club), for services to Scottish rugby

Ernest Feargrieve (lead race mechanic, Great Britain cycling team), for services to cycling

Linda Forrister, for services to British Gymnastics

Amanda Goth (mountain and hill runner), for voluntary services to the Todmorden Harriers Running Club and Sport Calderdale

Norma Hyde, for services to the Special Olympics, Sandwell

Barrie Jenkins (vice-chair and head bowls coach, Cardiff Chameleons), for services to bowls in Wales

Mervyn Leggett (council member, Football Association), for services to football

Erroll Lutton, for services to hockey

David Matten, for services to Kew Cricket Club

Gordon McDowell, for services to sport and to the community in County Down

David McMath (club secretary and groundsman, Castle Douglas Football Club), for services to football

Jason Oldfield, for services to the Kirkham and Wesham Cricket Club, Preston, Lancashire

Richard Quayle, for services to the Isle of Man Road Races

Neil Parsons (boxing coach), for services to sport

Mark Portsmouth, for services to sport in Mumbles, Swansea

John Rodgers (secretary, St Patrick's Former Players Football Club), for services to football

Audrey Taylor, for services to amateur swimming in East Sussex

Antony Ward (swimming technical official), for services to swimming and Para-swimming

Robert White, for services to football and to charity in North Belfast

Sharon Wood (chair, technical committee, British Gymnastics), for services to trampoline gymnastics