British winners at this summer's Athens Olympics were among hundreds of people recognised by Queen Elizabeth II in her New Year Honours on Friday, with double track gold medalist Kelly Holmes made a Dame.

Holmes, who overcame years of injury to win the 800m and 1,500m titles at the Games, expressed shock that "a girl brought up in a humble council house" would now be officially known as Dame Kelly Holmes.

Rower Matthew Pinsent, who led Britain's coxless four to an agonisingly close win, becoming in the process one of only five athletes in history to win gold at four successive Olympic Games, was knighted, becoming Sir Matthew.

Such honours are handed out to worthy Britons twice a year, at New Year and in June for the Queen's Birthday Honours, a date which marks her "official" birthday although the real event is in April.

Although officially the gift of the queen, such gongs are handed out these days following extensive discussions by various government sub-committees, and invariably contain a smattering of crowdpleasers along with the great and good of business and politics.