Britain’s six-time Olympic champion Chris Hoy has announced his retirement from competitive cycling.
The 37-year-old Scot had been contemplating continuing until the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but has decided enough is enough and confirmed he was quitting the sport at a lunchtime press conference in Edinburgh today.
Hoy is Britain’s most decorated Olympian after his haul of two gold medals at London 2012 saw him surpass rower Steve Redgrave’s record of five.
Hoy said: “Today I’m offically announcing my retirement and it’s a decision that I didn’t take lightly and I thought about it very hard.
“The reason for that is that I thought I’ve got every last ounce of energy out of myself.
“I got to London and I don’t think people realise how much that took out of me.”
As well as six Olympic titles, Hoy’s 13-year career featured 11 world titles and two Commonwealth crowns.
Hoy’s final race was the Olympic Keirin final on the final day of the London 2012 track programme.
Always a man for the big occasion, Hoy delivered with a victory which saw him overtake Redgrave as the Briton with the most Olympic gold medals.
Fittingly the rower was there to witness Hoy’s history-making, which was accompanied by emotion the Scot rarely demonstrated.
Many knew then it was the end, even if Hoy spent the period post-London 2012 deliberating whether or not to continue until the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The desire was there, but only if he would be competitive at the age of 38.
Speaking while a spectator at November's Track World Cup meeting at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, he said: "It's about whether my body can hold on."
Inspired by ET to ride a bike, Hoy grew up in the era prior to Lottery funding, but the financial support helped him to great success.
He won a medal at his first Olympics in Sydney in 2000 — team sprint silver alongside Craig MacLean and Jason Queally — and his first gold four years later in Athens, in the one-kilometre time-trial.
The event was removed from the Games programme soon afterwards, though, and Hoy had to reinvent himself.
He did so with aplomb, winning sprint, Keirin and team sprint titles at the 2008 Olympics.
The hat-trick saw Hoy become the first Briton in 100 years — since swimmer Henry Taylor in 1908 — to win three gold medals at one Games and saw him become the most successful British cyclist of all time.
He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year and knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours.
Hoy had to overcome a career-threatening hip injury in 2009 and responded with his 10th world title in 2010 in Copenhagen and an 11th in Melbourne, four months prior to London 2012.
Hoy was not selected to defend his sprint title at London 2012 as further regulation changes meant only one rider per nation could compete.
Jason Kenny — considered Hoy's heir apparent — justified the decision, which Hoy accepted with his usual good grace, winning gold.
Hoy had already combined with Kenny and Philip Hindes to win team sprint gold before racing in his favoured Keirin event on the final day of the London 2012 track programme — and he delivered.
Hoy added: “I think in sport at the highest level you’re dealing in such small margins and you can tell when you’re good but not good enough.
“The recovery, the whole injury aspect was beoming more of an issue. There was never a moment where I said ‘never again’.
“I’m happy, I’m satisfied. There is no lingering doubt. I’ve done everything I can.”
