Hoy retires from professional cycling competition

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Six-time Olympic gold medalist and 11-time world champion Sir Chris Hoy has officially retired from track cycling.

At 37 years old, the Englishman held a much-anticipated press conference to announce that he is at the end of his 19-year professional career.

Initially, Hoy wanted to participate in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year, but decided against it.

He leaves his profession as Britain’s most successful Olympian; surpassing Sir Steve Redgrave after winning his fifth and sixth gold medals at London 2012.

“Today I am officially announcing my retirement from international cycling,” he said.

“It is a decision I didn’t take lightly, it is something I have thought about very hard with the help of my wife, my family and my coaches and the reason is that I feel I have got every last ounce of effort and energy out of myself.

“I made it to London and was successful in London, but I don’t think people realise just how much that took out of me. One more year would have been too much and too far for me.

“I didn’t want to turn up and wave to the crowd and wear my tracksuit [at the 2014 Commonwealth Games]. I wanted to win a medal for Scotland and because I don’t feel like I can do that I would rather step aside and let someone else take my place.

“I would like to thank my coaches, Ian Dyer, Jan Van Eijden, Shane Sutton, Peter Kean and David Brailsford for their leadership they have shown.

“All the team, all the support group are second to none. The support team we have in this team is incredible, as is everybody who has been part of that success.”

Hoy bagged his first gold medal in Athens 2004 then becoming a sporting legend after being the first Brit to get three gold medals in a year by getting three at Beijing 2008.

Consequently, he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2008 and was knighted in 2009.

Hoy went on to speak about his retirement: “I don’t want it to be a sad moment. I want to celebrate it and be happy because I know it is the right decision.

“But it is a very hard time, it is time to say enough is enough. There is always a temptation to go on, perhaps too long and it is not that I am frightened of losing, but I just can’t ask for any more.

“I have done the best I can, I have had an amazing career and I have got so many people to be thankful for that but I think this is the end of it.”

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