British Cycling president Bob Howden has today paid tribute to the career of Sir Chris Hoy, following the announcement that Britain’s most successful Olympian is to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at this weekend’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Sir Chris Hoy won six Olympic gold medals while riding as a member of the Great Britain Cycling Team in Beijing and London, as well as 11 world championship titles throughout an illustrious track career.
The 38-year-old retired from the competitive cycling in 2013 having cemented his status as one of this country’s sporting greats and British Cycling president Bob Howden today spoke of Sir Chris’ sporting success and his ability to inspire others.
He said: "The lifetime achievement award is thoroughly merited recognition of someone who continues to represent the best of British Cycling and the best of British sport.
“Sir Chris's career was marked not just by sporting excellence but by sporting conduct which earned respect from team-mates, from rivals and from cycling fans around the world."
Sir Chris is widely recognised within the sport as one of the first track riders to propel cycling into the mainstream, bringing track cycling to new audiences and inspiring thousands of people to get on their bikes.
He remains committed to the sport has recently took on a mentoring role with the Great Britain Cycling Team, joining the riders at last weekend’s UCI Track Cycling World Cup in London and the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Colombia.
Chris’ experience in this inspirational role is invaluable according to British Cycling’s technical director, Shane Sutton.
He said: “I can think of no one more deserving of the lifetime achievement award than Sir Chris Hoy. Not only is he the most successful cyclist that the British Cycling Olympic Programme has produced, he is also a huge inspiration off the bike and is someone who all the riders look up to and respect.”
The Scotsman, who recently became a father, will receive the lifetime achievement award at the BBC’s ceremony in Glasgow on Sunday, placing him alongside the likes of sporting greats Sir Steve Redgrave and Seve Ballesteros who have previously received the honour.
For full details of BBC’s coverage of this weekend’s Sport Personality of the Year, click here.
