How gold has become the standard
need to do something. We need to invest in sport. We need to make this a priority’,” says Hoy. “Olympic sports were almost unrecognisable compared to the support and pathways we have now.
“There were only two full-time members of the British Cycling team 20 years ago. Now, you only have to go there to see how many different people work in all different facets.
“People watched us win cycling medals in Beijing and asked, ‘Where did we get this overnight success?’ It came from a 12-year period.”
After finishing university in 1999, Hoy, 40, used the funding from British Cycling to move down to Manchester from Edinburgh. Able to focus fully on performances rather than juggle it with the demands of a full-time job, he was able to win silver in the team sprint at Sydney. Six Olympic gold medals later, the rest is history.
“It was a lifeline. I could pay my rent, base myself in Manchester, live the dream and make the Olympics team. I never thought I’d still be competing 13 years later. I thought I’d do it for a couple of years then get a real job.”
Some commentators are sniffy about the way in which this transformation has taken place. On the road to Sydney, £58.9m was invested in Olympic sports. That figure is now £274.5m. The funding total is more than £900m. It will break £1bn by the time the Tokyo 2020 Games come round.
Some have accused UK Sport of financially doping their way to medals success. Essentially, they argue, they have bought medals.
Hoy disagrees. “You don’t buy medals with money. It’s about investing in the right people. You need to have those resources to get the right people in and the correct facilities.”