New Year's Honours List 2022: Leeds sporting heroes recognised by the Queen for their outstanding achievements

Recognised for their outstanding achievements and contributions to British society, nine sportswomen and men from the city have been awarded an MBE.

Leeds Paralympian Kadeena Cox has been awarded the higher honour of an OBE for her services to athletics and cycling.

Cox, who graduated from Leeds Beckett University in 2013, was a sprinter from an early age and entered Paralympic athletics in 2015 after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Earlier this year, she competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, bringing home two gold medals in the velodrome in the mixed 750m team sprint C1-C5 and the 500m time trial C4-C5.

She had previously competed in the 2016 Olympics held in Rio and won one bronze and two gold medals at the Games, becoming the first British Paralympian to achieve two gold medals from two different events since 1984.

As well as her sporting achievements, Cox has become a TV star following her appearances on Celebrity Masterchef and I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here.

The Tokyo Olympics triathlon mixed relay gold medal-winning team of Jonny Brownlee, Jess Learmonth, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee - all from Leeds - have been awarded MBEs for their services to the triathlon.

The latter two also won individual silvers in the women’s and men’s events respectively.

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Jamie Jones-Buchanan has been awarded an MBE for his services to Rugby League Football and the community in Leeds.

He enjoyed a hugely successful career playing for Leeds Rhinos, winning seven grand finals, a challenge cup, three world club challenges and three league leaders' shields in over 400 appearances.

Thomas Pidcock, who won the gold medal in cross-country mountain biking in Tokyo, has been recognised for his services to cycling, while Anna Vanda Laura Fairchild has been made MBE for her services to women's martial arts and the NHS.

Anna has worked continuously in the NHS since 1983 and has been involved with Aikido for more than 30 years, becoming British Randori Champion three times and going on to win six international medals.

She was one of the first non-Japanese women to win a medal at the World Championships.

Ellen Frances Buttrick, who is from Leeds but lives in Oxfordshire, has been made MBE for her services to rowing, while diving star Matthew Lee - born and educated in Leeds - has also been awarded the honour.

Here is the full list of Leeds sports stars recognised in the New Year's Honours List 2022:

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Kadeena Cox MBE. For services to Athletics and Cycling. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Jonathan Brownlee. For services to Triathlon. (Bramhope, West Yorkshire)

Anna Vanda Laura Fairchild. For services to Women's Martial Arts and to the NHS. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Jamie Daniel Peter Jones-Buchanan. For services to Rugby League Football and the community in Leeds. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Jessica Learmonth. For services to Triathlon. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Thomas Pidcock. For services to Cycling. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Georgia Taylor-Brown. For services to Triathlon. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Alexander Yee. For services to Triathlon. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Ellen Frances Buttrick. For services to Rowing. (Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire) – Ellen is from Leeds

Matthew Lee. For services to Diving. (London, Greater London) – Matty was born and educated in Leeds.

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