Kelly will be Olympic Dame
Kelly Holmes is to be made a dame in the New Year Honours, it is revealed today. The Evening Standard has learned that the 34-year-old athlete, who was Britain's star at the Athens Olympics, will take centre stage in the list which will also include a knighthood for four times gold medal-winning rower Matthew Pinsent.
Holmes pulled off an historic double by winning gold in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres in Greece. This month she won the BBC's Sport
Personality of the Year Award. It is extremely rare for an athlete who is still competing to be made a dame, an honour often reserved for distinguished actresses.
Holmes already has an MBE for her services to the British Army, where she trained before becoming a full-time professional athlete.
But becoming a dame will be a great honour for Holmes, whose athletics career was plagued by years of injury and disappointment until her triumph in this summer.
Asked about the possibility of receiving the award two weeks ago, Holmes said: "Any honour from the Queen would be wonderful.
"But for a girl like me, who was brought up in a humble council house, to be made Dame Kelly Holmes would be amazing.
"I've heard people say it could happen in the New Year Honours and just thought, 'Oh my God'."
The former army sergeant added: "I got an MBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, but that was for services to the British Army. I've never been honoured as an athlete."
Holmes has already been to the Palace this year for a reception with the rest of the British Olympic team.
Her Athens triumph was also celebrated with an open-top bus tour through her home town of
Tunbridge Wells, where thousands of cheering supporters turned out to welcome her home. Holmes has always been one of the most popular figures in British athletics but the two gold medals have given her enormous celebrity status in the past few months.
She has made numerous appearances on television, including Parkinson and Blue Peter, and is an important figure in London's bid for the 2012 Olympics, appearing on a promotional video.
She has also appeared in a glamorous photo-shoot in Hello! magazine. Despite all the attention, Holmes plans to return to the track in Britain in the next few months and has announced she plans to compete in indoor meetings this winter.
Pinsent, who collected his fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Athens after competing in a quad with James Cracknell, Ed Coode and Steve Williams, will join his former rowing partner Sir Steve Redgrave as a knight.
Like Redgrave, he has decided to retire from competitive rowing. Both men are scheduled to play key roles in London's 2012 campaign before next July's vote.
