Home sweet home
Commonwealth Games in Scotland would be dream end for Hoy
AFTER a home Olympic Games that topped the list of experiences in his long cycling career, Britain’s Chris Hoy hopes to bow out of the sport with the 2014 Commonwealth Games in his native Scotland.
Hoy, who won gold in the men’s keirin on Tuesday to add a seventh medal, and a sixth gold, to become Britain’s most successful Olympian, has already ruled out making it to the next Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 but has his sights set on Glasgow.
“The dream scenario is to have that as my swan song, to be there at the Commonwealth Games, but it is a big ask, it is two more years,” 36-year-old Hoy, who won his first Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, told reporters.
“When you break it down to 35 hours of training a week, the sacrifices, the time away from home ... everything you do is focused on training or recovery, it is just nice not to have to care how your legs feel when you walk up a set of stairs.”
“But there couldn’t be a bigger draw than a home commonwealth Games,” said Hoy, who was born in Edinburgh.
A member of the British national cycling squad since 1996, Hoy started his cycling career racing BMX bikes, before switching his attention to track at the age of 16.
At his third Olympics in Beijing in 2008, the softly spoken Hoy became the first Briton in a 100 years to win three gold medals at a single Games.
“It has not been easy the last four years, every morning it is harder and harder to get up when you get to my age,” said Hoy, who is famous for his work ethic.
One of the most prominent faces of the London Games, he was selected to carry the British flag at the Opening Ceremony after a vote by all members of Britain’s 542-member Olympic team, becoming the first cyclist to do so.
Despite the pressure of living up to their Beijing success, the British team won seven of the 10 track cycling gold medals up for grabs in London, equalling their 2008 tally.
“We have had two fantastic Games. I won’t be there in four years’ time but hopefully the team will continue and have an amazing time,” said Hoy, who sobbed as he stood on the podium after collecting his medal.
“Nothing will top this in terms of an experience.”