BOLTON’S Olympic Golden boy Jason Kenny will be honoured with a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s list.

The Farnworth Flyer, who won three gold medals at this summer’s Rio games, is the joint holder of the highest number of Olympic golds for any British athlete in history.

His wife, fellow champion cyclist Laura, who he married earlier this year, will also be awarded a CBE.

Jason, who attended Mount St Joseph School in Farnworth, has previously been awarded both an MBE and an OBE for his cycling exploits at the Beijing and London Olympics in 2008 and 2012.

He picked up one gold in China and two more in London, before his best performance in Brazil in the summer.

Some felt the 28-year-old may have been in line for a knighthood in this year’s honours, in the same way that fellow Team GB cyclists Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy have been honoured in the past.

But he will have to be satisfied with the CBE, unlike fellow Olympic heroes Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katherine Grainger, along with tennis star Andy Murray, who will all receive the top honour.

Jason’s performance in 2012 led to the council naming the flagship town centre sports centre after him.

While there has been no decision on how the authority and the town will honour his most recent achievements, it is believed that a proposed new cycle track facility will be named after him.

Jason and Laura were invited as special guests to this year’s Bolton Christmas lights switch-on event, with hundreds of people coming out to see the sporting pair.

Bolton Council’s cabinet member for sport Cllr John Byrne, a keen cyclist himself, said the CBE is richly deserved.

He said: “Both Jason and Laura are fully deserving of this honour. They are fantastic role models for young people.

“Whenever Jason comes back to Bolton, hundreds of people come out to see him because everyone in Bolton is so proud of him and what he has achieved.

“He is a level headed, ordinary lad and a great example to youngsters in Bolton of what you can achieve if you work hard.”

Cllr Byrne confirmed that the council is still looking at ways in which Jason’s most recent achievements can be marked in the town.