One of the greatest track and field athletes of all time, Adams is the first woman to have claimed four successive World Championship titles in any single event: in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

She is also three time World Indoor, two-time Olympic and three-time Commonwealth champion.

Her remarkable winning streak lasted across 56 competitions from 2010 to 2014, the year she was International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) female athlete of the year, before she claimed a silver medal at this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

"With an Olympic gold medal, basically people look at the strength of the person, the high performance," she told Stuff New Zealand.

"But this [honour] is me as a whole and my performances on and off the field. 

"You can't really rank it - this is a very prestigious award that you would never imagine was possible." 

In addition to her sporting success, the 32-year-old has also been a shining light for clean sport in an era in which many of her closest rivals have been guilty of doping offences.

This included Belarus' Nadzeya Ostapchuk, who placed first ahead of Adams at London 2012 before being disqualified after a positive drugs test.

David Howman, another prominent anti-doping campaigner, has also been recognised with a New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the year after he stepped-down from his post as director general from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

He previously served chair of the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency between 2000 and 2003, as well as chair of New Zealand Tennis and a Hillary Commission for Sport, Fitness and Leisure board member.     

Despite retiring, Howman has retained a prominent behind-the-scenes role, and in September told insidethegames that the International Olympic Committee's response to the Russian doping crisis risked making them non-compliant with WADA rules.

New Zealand Olympic Committee President Mike Stanley also receives a CNZM.

The former two-time world champion and Los Angeles 1984 Olympian rower led Rowing New Zealand from 1994 to 2003.

He has since been a selector of the country's Olympic, Commonwealth and Paralympic Games team before leading NZOC since 2009.

“It is a great honour to be awarded the Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit," he said.

“I have been privileged to be involved in sport which is something I am passionate about.

“I have also been fortunate to work with so many great people, contributing at all levels, who I have learnt so much from and who continue to inspire and motivate me."