Chris Hoy

Track cyclist, racing driver, author

British (Scottish) Edinburgh, Scotland

Quick Info

ProfessionTrack cyclist, racing driver, author
NationalityBritish (Scottish)
Date of Birth23/03/1976
Age50 years
BirthplaceEdinburgh, Scotland

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Bio/Wiki

Full NameSir Christopher Andrew Hoy
HonorificsSir (Knight Bachelor, 2009)
Known ForOne of the most successful track cyclists in history, six-time Olympic champion and eleven-time world champion representing Great Britain and Scotland
Major TeamsGreat Britain track cycling team; Scotland Commonwealth Games cycling team
HonoursMBE (2005) for services to cycling; promoted to Knight Bachelor (Sir) in 2009; multiple honorary degrees from Scottish universities
Sports DisciplinesTrack cycling (sprint, keirin, team sprint, kilo time trial); BMX; rowing; mountain biking; endurance car racing

Personal Life

SchoolGeorge Watson’s College
SpouseAlexandra "Sarra" Kemp (married 2012)
ChildrenTwo children
ResidencePrimarily based in the United Kingdom

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried

Family

MotherReceived MBE for services to nursing
FatherDavid Hoy
ParentsDavid Hoy and his wife Carol (mother received MBE for nursing)
SiblingsHas at least one sibling (brother) mentioned in interviews

Career

SportsBMX (from age 7, until 1991), rowing (junior level for Scotland), mountain biking (briefly), track cycling (from 1992)
Cycling ClubsDunedin CC (1992), City of Edinburgh Racing Club
British Cycling SquadSince 1996
Achievements11-time world champion; 6 Olympic gold medals (km time trial 2004, sprint/team sprint/keirin 2008, team sprint/keirin 2012), 1 Olympic silver (team sprint 2000); BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2008; Knighthood 2009
RetirementCycling 2013
Post-RetirementCar racing (European Le Mans Series LMP3 champion 2015, 24 Hours of Le Mans 2016: 18th, Race of Champions 2015, British GT Championship 2019: 29th)
BooksChris Hoy: The Autobiography (2009, updated 2012); Flying Fergus children’s series; All That Matters (2024)
Olympic GamesSydney 2000 (silver, team sprint); Athens 2004 (gold, kilo time trial); Beijing 2008 (gold, sprint, team sprint, keirin); London 2012 (gold, team sprint and keirin)
World ChampionshipsMultiple UCI Track Cycling World Championship titles between 2002 and 2012 in kilo time trial, sprint, keirin and team sprint events
Commonwealth GamesRepresented Scotland, winning gold medals in track cycling events at Commonwealth Games
Other RolesMotorsport competitor in endurance and GT racing; motivational speaker; children's author; ambassador for cycling and physical activity charities

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Started cycling on a secondhand bike bought for £5 at a jumble sale
2. Set Olympic and world sea-level record in km time trial at Athens 2004 (1 min 0.711 sec)
3. Led Team GB into London 2012 Opening Ceremony
4. Competed in British GT Championship 2019 finishing 29th
5. Was inspired by BMX star Eddie Fiola in the 1980s and began his cycling journey in BMX before switching to track cycling
6. Has a velodrome named after him: the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, opened ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games
7. Announced a diagnosis of cancer in 2023, which he initially kept private before speaking publicly about it in 2024
8. Has written and co-authored several children's books encouraging young readers to enjoy cycling and sport
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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