The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Hoy backing bid to beat his record
Sir Chris Hoy will have no problem if Jason Kenny pulls away from him as Britain’s most successful Olympian of all time in Tokyo.
Hoy and Kenny share the British record with six gold medals, but Kenny’s decision to scrap retirement plans and take aim at the 2020 Games could see him move clear.
Hoy admits the record “has meant a lot” but the Scot will still be cheering his friend on.
“If you’re going to lose a record like that, you want to lose it to a friend,” Hoy said.
“As time passes on, your time in the sun has gone and I don’t want to look back. Records aren’t important to me now. What’s important is I achieved what I wanted to achieve in the sport.”
Hoy won his first gold in Athens in 2004, claimed three in Beijing four years later and overtook Sir Steve Redgrave with two golds in London in 2012.
Hoy joked he has been able to enjoy “a grandfathering period” as Kenny equalled his tally by winning three in Rio.
“If it had happened straight away it would have been tougher to deal with,” he said. “But when I saw Jason winning in Rio, hand on heart, I was delighted for him, it was brilliant to see. I knew how hard he’d worked. He’s one of my mates.”
Hoy has now turned his attention to other challenges and this month broke the world record for the number of donuts performed in a car in the space of 60 seconds, spinning a Caterham Seven 19 times at Donington Park.
His next major project will see him attempt to cycle across Antarctica, aiming to beat the record of 10 days for the 423 miles.