Hughes was granted an Order of Australia for his service to sports medicine as an administrator and elite physician.

Last year, Hughes received the AOC's Order of Merit award, and his 33-year career has covered work with Australia's women's national basketball team, including at the London 2012 Olympics, men's rugby union team and English football club Manchester City.

He has served as chief medical officer at the Australian Institute of Sport since January 2013, and has worked with the AOC since October of that year.

Hughes was medical director for the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Australian Olympic teams, and has chaired the AOC Medical Commission.

Chesterman pinpointed Hughes' work in navigating the team through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic at Tokyo 2020, and said he is "most deserving of this recognition from a grateful nation".

"David’s leadership and meticulous planning for Tokyo 2020 laid the foundation of the success of the Australian Team at those Games," the AOC President commented.

"Not one instance of COVID in a team of 486 athletes and 447 support staff, in the midst of a global pandemic.

"That was quite extraordinary.

"His unique understanding of the requirements of our athletes, their sports and the Games organisers, was at the heart of his planning, coupled with his first-class communications skills.

"David's capacity to instil confidence in these processes and practices ensured he had the full confidence of athletes, sports as well as his colleagues in the senior management of the Australian Olympic team.

"The results achieved by the Australian Olympic team in Tokyo are testament to David Hughes' experience and skills."

The Order of Australia was established in 1975, and Hughes was among 920 recipients of the award this year.