KARACHI: Sir Chris Hoy rounded off his Olympic career claiming a sixth Olympic gold medal to become the most successful British Olympian of all time.
Hoy surged to the front with a lap and half to go but seemed slowing down the final home straight as Australia's Shane Perkins went past him. But somehow he cycled his way back on the inside and used the very final bend as a sling shot for the most momentous victory of his career.
Hoy has now surpassed Sir Steve Redgrave's total of five gold medals and, at the age of 36, ends his Olympic career on a glorious high at the London Velodrome as GB finish the competition with seven gold medals, the same they got in Beijing.
Hoy, 36, could not hold back his emotions and cried tears of joy as he stepped on to the podium to collect his medal as Britain’s most decorated athlete ever.
After feverish celebration at the Olympic Velodrome, Sir Steve stepped up to embrace the cycling sensation and asked, “Are you going to race the Olympics again?”
Sir Chris replied, “That is me done.” He added, “Steve’s an inspiration. To even be mentioned in the same sentence as this guy is an honor to me, he will always be the greatest to me no matter what.
“He won five consecutive gold medals, that is different to winning multiple gold medals. To be here and have him congratulating me is an honor, thank you Steve,” he further added.
The cyclist has seven Olympic medals in total, with one silver accompanying his golds.
Sir Chris first became Olympic champion in Athens in 2004, with victory in the 1km time trial, before claiming a hat-trick of victories in Beijing and the team sprint title on Thursday.
Sir Chris intends to bow out of cycling at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
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