Hoy named Sportsperson of Year for fifth time

Published on Monday 27 October 2008 09:20

OLYMPIC cycling hero Chris Hoy has been named Sportsperson of the Year for the fifth time in six years.

The 32-year-old from Edinburgh, who won three gold medals at this year's Beijing Games, was awarded the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy at a special dinner last night.

The trophy is awarded for Scotland's top athlete, based on performance between July last year and September this year.

Hoy's medal haul made him the first British athlete to win three golds at a single Games for a century and Scotland's most successful track cyclist of all time.

He had already won two gold medals at the World Championships ahead of Beijing. And he is also the 500m world record holder and has picked up 26 World Cup gold medals. Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: "This has been a fantastic year for Scottish sport and many congratulations to all our nominees.

"However, Chris Hoy's three gold medals takes him to a totally new level. He gave so many people so much pleasure and pride in what he achieved for himself, his country and his sport.

"He is a great ambassador and a truly worthy winner of the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy for a record fifth time."

The runner-up was Paralympic cyclist Aileen McGlynn, from Glasgow, who describes her greatest inspiration as coming from watching and training with Chris Hoy.