Hoy hangs it up
April 18, 2013Hoy, one of the local heroes of the London Olympics, made the announcement on Thursday. It ends the career of a six-time Olympic champion and 11-time World Champion.
"I'm officially announcing my retirement from international cycling," the Scotsman told an Edinburgh press conference. "It's a decision which I didn't take lightly. It's something I thought about hard with the help of my family and my coaches."
The first gold medal in track cycling came for Hoy at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He followed that up with three golds in Beijing and two more in London. He also has a silver medal from the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. His six golds are the most for any British athlete.
The decision by the 37-year-old to retire ends speculation that he would compete in the Commonwealth Games next summer in Scotland.
Hoy is renowned in the sporting community for his modesty and down-to-earthness – a superstar that avoided letting it all go to his head.
"Nothing would give me more pleasure than going to Glasgow, but I don't want to be there for the numbers," he said on Thursday. "Being objective, I got every last drop out in London. Now it's time for younger riders to experience what it is like to compete in front of a home crowd."
In addition to being a decorated athlete, Hoy was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2009.
mz/kms (dpa, Reuters, AFP)