Originally Posted by Malliday:
“Exactly. She retired less than 6 years after first being awarded an MBE. So why couldn't they just wait, see how much she achieved in her career and then give her the appropriate accolade?
Why did they bother with the CBE in 2013 if there was the potential for her to be made a Dame 3 years later?
It's just evidence of how they are handing these awards out frivolously and unnecessarily.
Why not award people for the sum total of their achievements rather than award them a new honour every couple of years just for the sake of it? ”
Normally it's a minimum five years between gongs, but they seem to have reduced it to four for Olympians, which is understandable, although I do agree they could just let someone sit out a round, and accept that someone will whine about the 'snub'.
I couldn't tell you when Jess got her MBE or OBE, but she got her CBE after the 2012 Olympics, so it's four years between the CBE and becoming a Dame. She has now retired, so they know her sporting achievements, unless she's in line for any more upgraded medals following the doping investigations. Don't forget, she's won at the World Championships as well as the Olympics. I do, however, think they could have waited another year to Dame her, and she could enjoy it more. Even better, let her get on with her post-retirement career, although I suspect she'll be keen to have some peace and quiet with her family, and maybe have another child. However, I'd expect her to stay involved in sport and it's nice for that to be factored in.
IMO, as soon as they decided to Dame Kelly Homes on her retirement, it set a precedent. They really should have waited a few years, and to be fair, she has done a lot of work to encourage kids into sport anyway, but it's hard to delay giving the award to others after that.
Originally Posted by TeeGee:
“Perhaps that is the real reason she got her award bearing in mind she only has one gold medal. Lovely Laura already has four. Going back in time I don't recall Daley Thomson getting an equivalent honour either.”
Laura has four, but two were for team medals, and it's easier to get multiple golds in track cycling than in heptathlon. It's too simplistic to base it on the number of golds. She'll get one thought - it's a matter of time.
I do, however, think it's a farce that Daley Thompson hasn't had the recognition he deserves, but presumably there is still time. He's currently a CBE, which he got in 2000, so he's almost there. I expect all that needs to happen is for someone to nominate him. He keeps a low profile, and maybe he likes it that way, but I think it would be well received by the public if he got one?