Boxing history-maker Nicola Adams earns an MBE in the New Year Honours list
Nicola Adams becomes an MBE in the New Year Honours list after making boxing history at London 2012.
Last Updated: 29/12/12 3:36pm
Leeds flyweight Adams became the first woman to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games when she beat China's Ren Cancan in a thrilling final at ExCeL.
Victory ended a frustrating run of silver medals in major events for the 30-year-old, whose career was set back after the 2008 World Championships in China where she was beaten in the final by Poland's Karolina Michalczuk.
Adams spent several months recovering from a back injury but returned in time for the 2010 Worlds, where Cancan agonisingly beat her in the final.
But revenge was sweet for Adams in London this summer when she was also included on the shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year, and claimed the Boxing Writers' Club of Great Britain's Joe Bromley Award for outstanding services to boxing.
"It is really good to receive such a prestigious honour," Adams said. "Everything is all a bit surreal for me.
"It has been an incredible year. I have won an Olympic gold medal and have met the Queen. to have achieved so much in that time - it is really hard to put it into words how amazing this year has been."
Adams was not the only boxer to earn a place on the New Year list, with fellow gold medal winners Anthony Joshua and Luke Campbell also receiving MBEs.
Joshua was victorious in a controversial super-heavyweight final and former European champion Campbell won bantamweight gold.
There was also an MBE for Great Britain Boxing Performance Director Rob McCracken, who also coaches Carl Froch and has been credited for the improvement in the team since taking charge at their Sheffield base.