Chris Hoy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sir Chris Hoy
MBE

Hoy in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Christopher Andrew Hoy
Born	(1976-03-23) 23 March 1976 (age 49) Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	92 kg (203 lb; 14 st 7 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Track
Role	Rider

Sir Christopher Andrew Hoy (born 23 March 1976) is a famous former track cyclist and racing driver from Scotland. He rode for Great Britain in the Olympics and World Championships. He also represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.

Chris Hoy is an amazing athlete. He has won 11 world championships and six Olympic gold medals. With seven Olympic medals in total (six gold and one silver), he is one of the most successful Olympic cyclists ever. From 2012 to 2021, he was the most successful British Olympian.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chris Hoy won three gold medals. This made him Scotland's most successful Olympian. He was also the first British man since 1908 to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. After winning two more gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he became one of the top British athletes with the most Olympic gold medals.

In September 2023, Chris Hoy was diagnosed with a serious health condition. In October 2024, he shared that his condition was very advanced.

Early Life and Bike Inspiration

Chris Hoy was born on 23 March 1976 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He grew up in a place called Murrayfield. He went to George Watson's College for school. Later, he studied Maths and Physics at the University of St Andrews. He then moved to the University of Edinburgh, where he earned a degree in Sports Science in 1999.

Chris Hoy's love for cycling started when he was six years old. He was inspired by the 1982 movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. He saw a BMX bike in the film and wanted to ride one himself. Before becoming a track cyclist, he raced BMX bikes from age 7 to 14. He was very good, ranking second in Britain and ninth in the world. He even got sponsorships from companies like Slazenger.

He first learned about track cycling by watching Scottish cyclist Eddie Alexander win a medal in the 1986 Commonwealth Games. Chris Hoy also rowed for Scotland's junior team. He even played rugby for his school team.

Starting His Cycling Career

Chris Hoy joined his first cycling club, Dunedin C.C., when he was 14 in 1990. He started focusing on track cycling in 1993. That's when he joined the City of Edinburgh Racing Club.

In 1999, Chris Hoy won a silver medal at the 1999 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin. He was part of the team sprint event. Over the years, he often rode with teammates like Craig MacLean and Jason Kenny.

Olympic Achievements

Sydney 2000 Olympics

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Chris Hoy won his first Olympic medal. He earned a silver medal in the Team Sprint. He raced with Jason Queally and Craig MacLean. This medal helped start a new era for British track cycling.

Athens 2004 Olympics

Chris Hoy was in top form for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. His main event was the Kilo Time Trial. This is a race against the clock over 1,000 meters. He was ranked number one in the world.

He set a new Olympic record of 1 minute and 0.711 seconds. This was his first Olympic gold medal. However, his team finished fifth in the Team Sprint, which was a bit disappointing.

Developing New Skills

After 2004, the Kilo event was removed from the Olympics. This made Chris Hoy want to try new cycling events. He started focusing on the keirin event. In keirin, riders follow a small motorbike called a Derny for several laps. The motorbike slowly speeds up, then pulls away, and the riders sprint to the finish line.

Chris Hoy even went to keirin school in Japan in 2005. He showed he was becoming a great all-around sprinter. He could not only use his power but also use smart tactics in races.

World Record Attempt 2007

On 12 May 2007, Chris Hoy tried to break the world record for the kilometre race. He was incredibly close, missing it by just 0.005 seconds. He did set a new record for the 500-meter flying start.

Chris Hoy's biggest achievement was in the individual sprint. This is seen as the most important event in track cycling. He had not focused on this event much before. But in 2008, he won the sprint title at the World Championships. He was the first British man to do so in 52 years!

Beijing 2008 Olympics

Hoy at the 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chris Hoy made history. He became the first British male Olympian in 100 years to win three gold medals at one Games. He won gold in the men's keirin, the men's team sprint, and the men's individual sprint.

2009-2010 Cycling Season

Chris Hoy took a break from racing at the start of the 2009-2010 season. He returned to racing in December at an event in Manchester. He won both the Sprint and Keirin competitions there.

In February, he helped his team win a gold medal in the team sprint in Copenhagen. However, he crashed during the men's Keirin final. He had a serious hip injury that kept him off his bike for almost three months. He had to miss the World Championships in Poland.

At the 2010 UCI World Championships, Chris Hoy won his tenth world title in the Keirin event. This was despite crashing in the earlier races.

London 2012 Olympics

Hoy leading Team GB out as the team's flag carrier at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

Chris Hoy was an important ambassador for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He proudly carried the flag for Team GB at the opening ceremony. He then won a gold medal in the team sprint with Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes. They even set a new world record!

On 7 August 2012, Chris Hoy won another gold medal in the Keirin. This made him the most successful British Olympian ever, with a total of six gold medals. He also held the record for the most medals won by any British athlete at the Olympic Games.

Retirement from Cycling

On 18 April 2013, Chris Hoy announced he was retiring from competitive cycling. He said he was very proud to have been part of the sport's growth.

Since retiring, Chris Hoy has often worked as a commentator for BBC cycling events. He has covered three Commonwealth Games and three Summer Olympic Games.

Motorsport Career

Hoy contested the 2014 British GT Championship in a Nissan GT-R

Chris Hoy also loves motorsport. He started racing cars and even got his first podium finish in 2013. In 2014, he announced he would join the British GT championship. His goal was to compete in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2016.

In 2015, Chris Hoy won his first international race at Silverstone. He drove a Ginetta-Nissan car and won his class. He and his teammate Charlie Robertson won two more races that season. They even won the class title!

In March 2016, it was confirmed that Chris Hoy would race in the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours. He was the first Summer Olympic medalist to compete in this race. He and his teammates finished 17th overall.

Hoy Bikes

In November 2012, Chris Hoy launched his own bike brand called "Hoy." This was just three months after he won two Olympic gold medals in London. The first bikes included road bikes, city bikes, and a track bike. Later, he added bicycles for children to his range.

Personal Life and Health

Chris Hoy is married to Sarra Kemp, Lady Hoy, who is a lawyer. They got married in 2010 in Edinburgh. They have two children, a son and a daughter.

Chris Hoy's autobiography was published in 2009. He has also written children's books about a young cyclist named Flying Fergus. In 2020, he published another children's book called Be Amazing.

In April 2013, Chris Hoy became an ambassador for the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. He also became an ambassador for UNICEF UK in 2013. He has been an ambassador for the Scottish Association for Mental Health since 2009. He works to raise awareness and money for mental health.

In December 2016 and 2017, Chris Hoy supported a charity called Social Bite. He slept outside at their "Sleep in the Park" events to help raise money for homeless people. He is also a big fan of the Scotland rugby team.

In September 2023, Chris Hoy was diagnosed with a serious health condition. He shared this news publicly in February 2024. In October 2024, he explained that his condition was very advanced.

Medal History

Honours and Awards

• 2005: He received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh.
• 2005: He was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to cycling.
• 2005: He received an honorary degree from Heriot-Watt University.
• 2008: He was named Sportsman of the Year by the Sports Journalists' Association.
• 2008: He won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He was only the second cyclist to ever win this award.
• 2009: He received an honorary degree from the University of St Andrews.
• 2009: He was made a Knight Bachelor for his services to sport. This means he is now called "Sir Chris Hoy."
• 2009: He was added to the University of Edinburgh's Sports Hall of Fame.
• 2009: A high-speed train was named after him by the train company SouthEastern.
• 2012: The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, a cycling track built for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, was named in his honour.
• 2013: He was given the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh.
• 2025: He will receive the Freedom of the City of London.

See also

In Spanish: Chris Hoy para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics gold post boxes
• City of Edinburgh Racing Club
• Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome