Grounded golden boy Hoy won't fall for trappings of new-found fame

Published on Wednesday 20 August 2008 22:46

LESS than 24 hours after he became one of the most successful British Olympians of all time, Chris Hoy was sipping champagne and dealing with sponsors' requests. He was also doing another round of interviews. Told that everyone else had expressed an opinion on his achievement of three gold medals in a single Games, one journalist then asked "what Chris Hoy thinks of Chris Hoy?"

No hesitation. "I think when Chris Hoy refers to Chris Hoy in the third person, that's when Chris Hoy disappears up his own arse," he said visibly cringing. "I hope that never happens." It's an unlikely scenario. Even with people naming velodromes after him. Even if the knighthood he is being touted for becomes a reality in the New Year's Honours list.

"These aren't things you think about, it's ridiculous to think about yourself being a sir. It's crazy," says the 32-year-old, who was awarded his MBE after winning a solitary gold in Athens four years ago. "Even getting the MBE, you don't expect it, it's a surprise and an honour. To get that was fantastic because my granny was awarded MBE for services to MS in Scotland and I knew how much that meant to her, so it was fantastic."

A three-times gold medallist at these Games, he may be one of the most decorated individuals hanging out in the athletes village but he is also one of the most humble and grounded. Those qualities will be tested when he returns to Britain, where the demands on his time will be so huge his girlfriend has already accepted she may not get to see much of him until they finally escape on holiday together in November.

Hoy is still struggling to get a handle on it all. Fully focused on the task in hand, during competition time he purposely tried to shut out the coverage back in Britain, temporarily ignoring hundreds of text messages and emails.

"I haven't really realised how busy it's going to be. I am still thinking it's going to be like after Athens, get back, have a few things to do which are fun for a couple of weeks then back to normal. Whether it's going to be like that, I don't know. But I do know there are a lot of people wanting to get in touch with me. It is exciting and I do enjoy it, it's not something I worry about but I hope I can still go to the supermarket and do my shopping. I hope life doesn't change too much. But it's nice to get recognition."

Oblivious it seems to the hyperbole of reaction from sports fans suddenly attracted to track cycling, drawn in by the lure of a British success story, he believes the Athens experience has given him some inbuilt immunity to whatever craziness lies ahead.

"(After Athens] I found the most bizarre thing is you start to accept bizarre things. If I'm with Sarra or my family, something will happen and they say, 'wasn't that amazing', and I say: 'what? oh yeah, I suppose it was'.

"The weirdest thing I've heard so far this time was from a friend of mine (Martin Williamson, a former Scottish champion]. He texted to say that he was walking past two tramps on the High Street and they were discussing my keirin ride. That's fabulous. I think they thought I went a bit early, that I maybe had too small a gear!"

Relaxed and in jovial mood, he says he is never irked by the attention he has received thus far.

"It's really nice to be recognised for having done something good. People have never come up to me and given me abuse in the street; they come up to say hello or well done, or shake your hand – it's nice: people are genuinely pleased to see you. I wouldn't like to be at the level of a footballer, where you're in the papers for having a new pair of shoes on. I wouldn't want any of that, but I wouldn't mind an increase in profile because that could benefit not just myself but my sport.

"I really do feel passionately about promoting cycling, it's a great sport and with the successes of Mark (Cavendish] on the Tour de France this year as well, cycling on the whole is receiving such a boost now. People get drawn towards success. If kids are inspired and want to take it up, that's great.

"I've been hearing stories about kids, or 15, 16-year-old riders, setting amazing times recently at junior championships at Newport (velodrome]. There's this depth of talent that's coming through that nobody even knows about and they could be the riders in 2012. Jason Kenny was 16 when I won gold in Athens and nobody could have dreamt he'd be winning gold and silver four years later.

"We've got so many young riders coming through that cycling could end up becoming not a major sport, but one that people know about, and have opinions about. They might feel a bit of inspiration to get their bike out the garage, oil the chain and use it for riding to work. It doesn't have to be about elite performance; it can be about riding your bike for fun."

For someone who does take it seriously, fending off those upstarts will get tougher and tougher but it is something Hoy is relishing.

"You always have self doubt, that's what drives athletes on. You're always questioning yourself. Can I do this? If you know you can do something, it's not a challenge and it's boring. You can never rest on your laurels, there are always people snapping at your heels – even in my own team."

But he does have some pangs of regret. Such a busy Olympics schedule prevented him from campaigning for one of the places on the IOC athlete's commission. Whilst some of the others up for the vote today have been vociferous in canvassing votes, he has had other things on his mind and, for once, is willing to accept defeat.

"Being realistic, I know I have no chance. A guy from taekwondo has been campaigning outside the canteen and a German fencer been warned for campaigning in areas we're not supposed to. I should have got Ross (Edgar, his GB team-mate] out on rollers handing out leaflets."

He jokes but is disappointed he won't have a voice on the commission. "It would be fantastic to get on there to put British athletes' opinions forward, and cyclists' opinions forward, especially with the London games coming up. Athletes are passionate about their sport, and often there's frustration about the way the powers that be are running their sport, so I think it's very important that we have a say."

That ability to focus on the bigger picture means that Hoy may be our most decorated Olympian in a single Games for a hundred years, but there's very little danger of him disappearing up his own backside