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Chris Hoy at an awards ceremony in 2023
Photo:
Julien de Rosa / AFP
Six-time Olympic track cycling champion Chris Hoy has made his cancer public. As the 47-year-old announced on Instagram on Friday, he had already received the diagnosis last year. "I'm currently receiving treatments including chemotherapy, which fortunately is working well," wrote the Scot. The finding was a shock because he didn't feel any symptoms. He did not provide any information about the type of cancer.
The fact that he has now gone public with his illness is not voluntary. "For the sake of my young family, I wanted to keep this information secret, but unfortunately we were forced to do so," Hoy explained, without going into details. He is grateful for any support, but wants to keep everything else private.
Knighthood 2009, standard bearer 2012
At the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, Hoy won gold six times in various sprint disciplines. In London he was flag bearer for Team GB. He also won eleven world championship titles. For his successes, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2009 and has been able to call himself Sir Chris Hoy ever since. He ended his professional career in 2013.
The past few months have been very difficult, but he is still in an “optimistic” and “positive” mood. He is currently feeling good and cycling, says Hoy. There is an exciting year full of work ahead of him, not least because of the Olympic Games in Paris. "I can't wait to be there, have fun and share it with you," wrote Hoy, who will work as a commentator in Paris.
mlb/dpa/AP