David Weir won four athletics golds in as many events at London 2012, and Jonnie Peacock took the top prize in the men's 100m T44. © • Getty Images Ellie Simmonds won gold in the 200m individual medley SM6 at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. © • Getty Images Sophie Christiansen won three golds at the London 2012 Paralympic Games © • Getty Images Ollie Hynd will go up against his brother Sam in Aquatics Centre at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. © • C4 Camera

“Wow, I am speechless but incredibly honoured and extremely proud to be able to accept this. I never expected any additional awards after my sporting success. I love competing for my country and that is a huge honour in itself.”

Queen Elizabeth II has recognised the achievement of 29 British Paralympians for their stunning performances at London 2012 by naming them, together with a number of LOCOG employees, in the New Years Honours list.

At London 2012 Paralympics GB won 120 medals, 34 of them gold, whilst LOCOG delivered what IPC President Sir Philip Craven described as “the best Games ever”.

Four-time gold medallist at London 2012 Sarah Storey has been made a Dame of the British Empire (DBE). Storey has a total of 22 medals to her name (11 gold, eight silver and three bronze) from six Paralympic Games. She received an OBE following Beijing 2008.

Dame Sarah Storey said: “Wow, I am speechless but incredibly honoured and extremely proud to be able to accept this.

“I never expected any additional awards after my sporting success. I love competing for my country and that is a huge honour in itself.”

David Weir, who also won four golds at London 2012 is awarded a CBE. Weir has six gold, two silver and two bronze medals from four Paralympic Games. He received an MBE following Beijing 2008.

Also recognised are triple gold medallist in equestrian Sophie Christiansen, who is awarded an MBE, and multi-medallist swimmer Eleanor Simmonds. Both were awarded MBEs following Beijing, where they both won two gold medals.

The full list of athletes and officials in Paralympic sport recognised in the New Years Honours list are:

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Sarah Joanne, Mrs STOREY, OBE – Cyclist (Greater Manchester)

Knighthoods

David John BRAILSFORD, CBE - Performance Director, British Cycling (Derbyshire)

David Whitlock TANNER, CBE - Performance Director, British Rowing (Middlesex)

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

David Russell WEIR, MBE - Athlete (London)

Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Ms Sophie Margaret CHRISTIANSEN, MBE - Para-Equestrian (Berkshire)

Miss Eleanor Mary SIMMONDS, MBE – Swimmer (West Glamorgan)

Members of the Order of the British Empire

Miss Jessica-Jane APPLEGATE – Swimmer (Norfolk)

Miss Natasha BAKER - Para-Equestrian (Middlesex)

Miss Danielle BROWN - Archer (Shropshire)

Michael BUSHELL - Athlete (Shropshire)

Miss Hannah COCKROFT- Athlete (West Yorkshire)

Mark COLBOURNE - Cyclist (Monmouthshire)

William James Gray CONNELL - Performance Director, British Equestrian Federation (Leicestershire)

Josef CRAIG – Swimmer (Tyne and Wear)

Deborah, Mrs CRIDDLE - Para-Equestrian (Somerset)

Aled Sion DAVIES - Discus Athlete (Cardiff)

Neil FACHIE - Cyclist (Greater Manchester)

Jonathan FOX - Swimmer (Cornwall)

Miss Heather FREDERIKSEN - Swimmer (Cheshire)

Anthony HUGHES - National Performance Manager, Disability Sport Wales (The Vale of Glamorgan)

Oliver HYND – Swimmer ( Nottinghamshire)

Miss Helena LUCAS - Keelboat Sailor (Hampshire)

Craig MACLEAN - Cycling Pilot (Cheshire)

Nigel Patrick MURRAY - Boccia Player (Warwickshire)

Jonathan PEACOCK - Sprinter (Cambridgeshire)

Ms Josie Rachel PEARSON - Discus Athlete (Herefordshire)

Miss Pamela Lillian RELPH - Rower, Mixed Coxed Four (Buckinghamshire)

Miss Naomi RICHES - Rower, Mixed Coxed Four (Buckinghamshire)

James ROE - Rower, Mixed Coxed Four (Warwickshire)

David SMITH - Rower, Mixed Coxed Four (Inverness-shire)

Miss Lily Jacoba VAN DEN BROECKE - Cox (Durham)

Ms Sophie WELLS - Para-Equestrian (Nottinghamshire)

Richard WHITEHEAD - Sprinter (Nottinghamshire)

Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “The recognition of our Paralympic athletes in the New Year’s Honours List is a wonderful way to bring this remarkable year to a close.

“Their performances on the field of play not only received rapturous applause from the crowds at London 2012 and viewers of the TV coverage, many of whom were experiencing Paralympic sport for the first time, but the 11 days of sport that we witnessed this summer also gripped the nation and changed many peoples’ perception of disability sport.”

Those who contributed to the success of London 2012 in a non-sporting capacity have also been recognised, including many from LOCOG, the Organising Committee of the Games.

They include Lord Coe, Chairman of LOCOG, who becomes a Companion of Honour, an order of the Commonwealth realms which consist of just the Sovereign, plus no more than 65 Companions of Honour.

Coe’s deputy Sir Keith Mills, already honoured for his role in the London 2012 bid, receives the Knights Grand Cross, whilst Chief Executive Paul Deighton receives a knighthood.

A CBE has been awarded to Debbie Jevans, LOCOG’s Director of Sport and also to Ruth Mackenzie, the Director of the Cultural Olympiad.

There are OBEs for Jame Bulley, Director of venues and infrastructure, Jackie Brock-Doyle, Director of Communications, and Therese Miller, LOCOG’s general counsel who was Deighton’s key aide.

Meanwhile Deborah Hales, producer of the torch relay, is made an MBE.

Commenting on the list, LOCOG Chairman Seb Coe said: “I am so proud of what my LOCOG team and our partners delivered this summer and delighted they have been recognised on behalf of their teams in this way. The New Years Honours lists mark a wonderful end to this unique Olympic and Paralympic year recognising the achievements of our sportsmen and women who inspired the nation.”

Tom Aggar was defeated for the first time in the men’s single sculls ASM1x since 2007. © • Getty Images

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The 12 biggest upsets at London 2012

Huang races past Aggar for gold at Eton Dorney

“The top moment for me is the moment that national anthem playing and the flag raising. At that moment, I know I’m the pride of my motherland.”

When it came to the London 2012 Paralympic rowing competition, all everybody was talking about was Great Britain’s Tom Aggar.

After all, the former able-bodied ruby player had been unbeaten in the men’s single sculls ASM1x since 2007.

But nobody was mentioning China’s Cheng Huang, who only started competing internationally in rowing at the beginning of 2012.

On 2 September, that changed in less than five minutes.

Huang raced to gold on the final day of the London 2012 Paralympic rowing competition in a top time of 4:52.36, finishing ahead of Australia’s Erik Horrie and Russia’s Aleksey Chuvashev.

“I and my teammates only knew about rowing for two years, and we trained very hard with strict self-requirements,” Huang said.

“I’m very excited that I won the gold during my first Paralympic appearance. I will keep this feeling of excitement and pride as my motivation in future races.”

Aggar, meanwhile, finished a shocking and disappointing fourth.

“The arena is a place full of wonders and magic,” Huang said.

“I think personally that the winner cannot be determined by the past performances and achievements. I’m not surprised that Tom Aggar did not win a medal.”

What makes Huang’s London experience even sweeter is that he set a new world record in his classification earlier in the competition during the heats. He won his heat in a world-best time of 4:45.02 – more than four seconds faster than the previous top time set by Aggar in 2010.

Though being on the top place on the podium, for Huang, is better than any time.

“I’m the pride of my family, my coach and my teammates,” Huang said. “At the same time, I’m full of pride for being Chinese when the National Anthem playing and the flag raising.”

“The top moment for me is the moment that national anthem playing and the flag raising. At that moment, I know I’m the pride of my motherland.”

However, Huang said after he returned home to China a Paralympic champion that nothing had changed. Life was the same aside from a brief celebration with his friends.

The 30-year-old’s races received coverage from Ningbo Television and the Yinzhou Daily, but that’s about it. Nonetheless, he hopes to garner even more coverage for adaptive rowing by continuing on to Rio 2016.

“I just hope to say thanks to all the people who support and concern the cause of sports for the peoples with disabilities,” Huang said.

“And I also hope to tell everybody that as long as you struggle, you will be great.”

Editor’s Note: For the final 50 days of the year, the IPC will count down the year’s top moments in Paralympic sport, culminating with the year’s best moment on 31 December.

The 50 moments were selected by nominations from National Paralympic Committees and International Federations and are based on sport performance, emotional moments, media attraction and athletes’ personal stories.

The IPC would also like to call on the public to submit their own nominations for what they believe was the top Paralympic moment of 2012. They can do so by emailing ipc.media@paralympic.org, or by leaving a comment on www.Facebook.com/ParalympicGames or sending a tweet to @Paralympic.

Take a look at what we think were London 2012's top 12 upsets.

1. Oliveira beating Pistorius

Ahead of the start of the men’s 200m T44, South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius received a rapturous ovation from the capacity crowd of 80,000. By the time he had overtaken America’s Blake Leeper inside the first 50m and then exploded off the bend well ahead of the field, the race was going according to script.

But then Brazil’s Alan Oliveira produced outstanding acceleration along the home stretch, passing Pistorius in the closing stages to record one of the biggest upsets in history in a time of 21.45.

2. Huang ends Aggar’s five-year reign

Going into the race, British rower Tom Aggar was undefeated at international events since 2007, but he could not replicate that performance as the other competitors came out stronger. China’s world-record holder Cheng Huang ended the championship reign of Aggar on the final rowing race day at Eton Dorney in the men’s singles sculls ASM1x A final. Huang recorded a top time of 4:52.36, and Aggar did not even make the podium.

3. One goal is enough

A single goal was enough for Japan to take gold against world champions China in the finals of the women’s goalball competition.

4. Goalball men play a whole new game

Finland thrashed Brazil in the men’s goalball final, scoring eight goals, but neither had been expected to even make it to the finals. Favourites Lithuania and Sweden failed to medal.

5. “Grandpa” Murray knocked out of individual competition

Great Britain’s Nigel Murray was forced to retire without an individual medal after being beaten in the boccia BC2 quarter-finals by China’s Zhong Kai. Murray won bronze in the team event.

6. Soazo loses Paralympic title

The biggest shock in the judo competition perhaps came from the hotly tipped Naomi Soazo of Venezuela, who fell into the repechage after her first contest in the -63kg division. Soazo looked far stronger in her repechage and progressed to the bronze-medal match.

Soazo’s bronze-medal contest looked to be going her way, getting a point on the board quickly with a first minute yuko, but out of nowhere her Brazilian opponent achieved ippon.

Daniele Bernardes Milan took the bronze medal, her first in the weight division, having won two bronze medals previously at Athens and Beijing in the -57kg division.

7. Canada beating USA in wheelchair rugby semis

Canada produced one of the most memorable wheelchair rugby performances ever to defeat arch-rival USA, 50-49, in the semi-finals. USA went on to win the bronze-medal game against Japan, and Canada claimed silver after losing to Australia in the finals.

8. Cundy’s disqualification from C4-5 time trial

One of Great Britain’s medal hopefuls, Jody Cundy, reacted emotionally after being disqualified in the C4-5 time trial. He encountered a problem at the start, skidding out of the gate and never getting going. The time trial title went to Spain’s Alfonso Cabello, whose time of 1:05.95 also broke the C5 world record that had belonged to Great Britain’s Jon-Allan Butterworth.

9. USA women miss out on wheelchair basketball medal

The Netherlands, cheered on by the vocal crowd, stunned the USA with a clinical and comprehensive 71-47 victory in the bronze-medal match.

10. Quadfather knocked out

Great Britain’s Peter “the Quadfather” Norfolk’s loss to No. 10 seeded Shraga Weinberg of Israel was the biggest upset of the wheelchair tennis quad singles competition. The favourite won the first set comfortably 6–3, but with 22 unforced errors in the second it was all downhill for the British former champion. Weinberg took the win by a score of 3–6, 7–5, 6–2.

11. Sarri catches Datsko out in fencing

Italian Alessio Sarri caused a big upset in the men’s sabre category B quarter-finals in wheelchair fencing, catching potential medallist and world champion Anton Datsko off guard and defeating the Ukrainian, 15-13.

12. No triple-gold this time for Lee Pearson

For the first time ever, Great Britain’s Lee Pearson left the Games without three gold medals. Instead he won one of each colour. Austria’s Pepo Puch won gold in the Freestyle 1b with a score of 79.150 riding Fine Feeling. He was 5 points ahead of Finland's partially sighted rider Katja Karjalainen and Rosie with 74.250. Home favourite Pearson finished third overall with 74.200.

"You can never have too many gold medals so I will prepare for Rio 2016."

Ukrainian Alla Lysenko remains at the top after winning gold at Eton Dorney.

She dominated the women’s single sculls ASW1x race, having already broken the Paralympic record earlier in the competition, and is now the world, European and Paralympic champion.

But she showed no signs of feeling the pressure, despite being favourite to win the gold medal coming into the race.

“I don't like to be the favourite,” she said. “I like to keep it simple and be calm, I just start and finish."

The Ukrainian came out of the blocks at a fast pace, averaging 70 strokes per minute, which immediately set her apart from the rest of the pack.

She continued to fly across the water, comfortably claiming her first Paralympic gold medal, with France’s Nathalie Benoit and Liudmila Vauchok of Belarus coming in second and third place respectively.

Such a dominant display deserved the top prize and Lysenko was overjoyed with the result.

She said: "Oh my God, I can't speak, I am so excited.”

The 43-year-old was involved in a car crash in 1996 that resulted in her having spinal cord injuries and the amputation of both her legs.

She only made her international debut in 2009, but has since cemented herself as a prominent figure in women’s rowing, winning world championship titles in both 2009 and 2011.

Now Lysenko is looking to keep her reign going as long as she can.

“I am world, European and now Paralympic champion,” she said. “This is the ultimate dream, but you can never have too many gold medals so I will prepare for Rio 2016."

She will be looking to keep hold of her three titles as long as she can and also break the world and Paralympic records that she currently holds.

Based on her form in London, it is going to take something special to knock her off the top.

“The first part, I went at normal speed, but from the 250m mark I started using all my energy and I had good control."

On the final race day for rowing, Eton Dorney witnessed a slew of top races, including a gold-medal performance by world-record holder Cheng Huang in the men’s singles sculls ASM1x A final, ending the championship reign of Great Britain’s Tom Aggar, who did not receive a podium place.

Huang, who recorded a top time of 4:52.36 revealed that he just followed the gameplan that had been set out for him.

He said: “The first part, I went at normal speed, but from the 250m mark I started using all my energy and I had good control."

Erik Horrie of Australia won silver and Aleksey Chuvashev of Russia picked up the bronze.

Going into the race, Aggar was undefeated at international events since 2007, but he could not replicate that performance as the other competitors came out stronger.

Disappointed in front of a home crowd, Aggar admitted it just was not his day.

"I'm devastated,” he said. “Going into it, I was the favourite on paper, I could hardly move at the finish, I thought I would be in the medals.

“I’d been producing some of best times coming into the race, but it just wasn’t my day.”

Alla Lysenko showed why she is both the world and Paralympic record holder, as she clinched first place in the A final of the women’s single sculls ASW1x.

The Ukrainian left the other competitors in her wake and picked up a consecutive gold medal with a time of 5:35.29.

She showed no signs of being fazed by being tipped to dominate coming into the race.

“I don't like to be the favourite, to be the leader,” she said. “I like to keep it simple and be calm, I just start and finish."

In the same race, Nathalie Benoit of France was able to edge out Belarus’ Liudmila Vauchok and claim the silver medal, with Vauchok settling for bronze.

China claimed another rowing gold medal, as their world record holding crew of Xiaoxian Lou and Tianming Fei beat the French boat to the finish line in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls final TAMix2x. The Chinese finished in 3:57.63, almost six seconds ahead of French duo Stephane Tardieu and Perle Bouge.

The USA’s Oksana Masters and Rob Jones took third place to secure the bronze.

In the last race of the day, Great Britain’s crew, which included Pamela Relph, produced an impressive gold medal win in the mixed coxed four LTAMix4+ final, which triggered a rapturous sound of cheers from the stands.

Germany rowed their way to a silver medal finish and the Ukrainian crew claimed the bronze medal, as 2008 gold medallists Italy missed out on a podium place.

In addition to the A finals, there was also exciting action delivered by the four B final races.

The Republic of Korea’s Jongrye Lee dominated in the B final of women’s single sculls class, as she was first from beginning to finish, with Sandra Khumalo of South Africa took second place.

In the men’s single sculls B final, Juan Barcia Alonso of Spain led the race right up to the 750m mark, when his strapping came undone and the other rowers overtook him, leaving the Spaniard to settle with a third place finish.

New Zealand’s Danny Mcbride was first to finish with American Ronald Harvey following shortly behind to take second spot.

The Ukrainian duo were able to overcome tough competition as they came in first place in the mixed double sculls B final, with Brazil and Israel coming in second and third, respectively.

In the LTA mixed coxed four final B competition, the Canadian boat fought off the French crew for first place and the Brazilian team grabbed a third-place finish.