A year of Olympic glory has been topped off for sporting star Alistair Brownlee with the announcement that he is to receive an MBE.

The Olympic gold medal winner said he was delighted to have been chosen for the award and said he could not wait to meet the Queen.

The triathlete, who grew up in Horsforth but now lives in Bramhope, delighted thousands in London in August when he raced to victory in Hyde Park.

He has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours, along with other Team GB gold medal winning Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

He said: “I’m thrilled and honoured and I’m looking forward to meeting the Queen.”

Malcolm Brown, who has coached both Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee since their early teens and was the British Triathlon Olympic Performance Manager during the Games, receives an MBE for services to the triathlon and the Olympic Games.

British Triathlon Federation president Dr Sarah Springman said: “Both Alistair and Malcolm have, in their own unique ways, provided inspiration to many on their respective triathlon journeys to date.

“Their MBEs are richly deserved and, who knows, just as in their training together, they will have the pleasure of following each other to receive their medals should they be invested on the same day.”

In November, Brownlee was named the Olympic Athlete of the Year at the British Triathlon annual awards ceremony in Birmingham and was named GB British Triathlon Male Elite Triathlete of the Year for the fifth successive year.

His brother Jonny, who picked up a bronze at the Olympics, went on to become world champion, The area’s other gold winner, David Stone, received an MBE after the Beijing Paralympic Games and in 2010 was also recognised by his home town, Leeds, as Sportsman of the Year.

At the 2012 London Paralympics, Stone, from Rawdon, won gold in both the road race and time trial cycling event.