Sir Chris Hoy wins his sixth Olympic gold medal

Sir Chris Hoy and keirin gold, London 2012 Olympic Games, track day six

Sir Chris Hoy became Great Britain's greatest ever Olympian by winning the keirin at the end of another incredible night in the velodrome.

Hoy took the sixth gold of his career in a close fought battle in the final metres.

"I'm in shock. I'm trying to take it all in, but this is surreal," said Hoy. "It is what I always wanted - to win gold in front of my home crowd. I can't express the feelings I'm having right now. It's just the most amazing feeling." 

Hoy took the race on from two laps out, but coming in to the final banking German Maximilian Levy had come past him on the outside. Unfazed, Hoy kept going and flew in to the final straight, back in to the lead and across the line for gold.

Hoy's first gold came in Athens 2004 when he won the kilometre time trial. Three golds famously followed in Beijing and two more here in London.

Hoy moves above Bradley Wiggins at the top of the British Olympians table.

"This is the perfect end to my Olympic career. At Sydney (2000), I was just over the moon with a silver medal. If I'd have stopped then I would have been a happy boy, but to go on to Athens, Bejing and here, I can't put it into words," Hoy said.

Hoy was asked whether he would ever 'do a Redgrave' and consider competing in the Games again: "Not in an Olympic Games. I'm 99.9 per cent sure that I won't be in Rio. Glasgow 2014 [Commonwealth Games], if I can keep going that would be the dream ending for me."

Laura Trott also won gold tonight in the keirin, while Victoria Pendleton won silver in the sprint in what was her last ever race.

London 2012: Live text coverage of cycling events

August 7: Track cycling day six

August 6: Track cycling day five

August 5: Track cycling day four

August 4: Track cycling day three

August 3: Track cycling day two

August 2: Track cycling day one

August 1: Men's and women's time trials

July 28: Men's road race

July 29: Women's road race

London 2012: Latest news

Sir Chris Hoy looking good as British cyclists look to end with a flourish

GB doing something right says O'Shea

Comment: Hindes's purposeful crash - fair or foul?

New format for team pursuit explained

Pendleton and Varnish out of team sprint

'Hot pants' key to Pendleton and Hoy sprint

Britain's sprinters looking to continue GB medal haul

Wiggins: Tour was perfect Olympic TT preparation

Olympic time trial round-up

Pendleton warms up for London 2012

Cancellara in, Evans out of time trial

CW eyewitness: Remember the name

Cavendish finds solace in commitment of his team mates

London 2012: Team info

Men's road race start list

Women's road race start list

Men's time trial start list

Women's time trial start list

Team GB rider profiles

Great Britain track team confirmed

Bronzini leads Italian Olympic cycling team

British Olympic men's road race team announced

Armitstead and Cooke lead GB women's road cycling team

London 2012: Event guides

Mountain bike event guide on

www.mbr.co.uk

Olympic Games men's time trial: Who will win?

Olympic Games women's time trial: Who will win?

Olympic time trial routes announced

Olympic Games women's road race: Who will win?

Olympic Games men's road race: Who will win?

Download detailed Olympic road race route map

London 2012 cycling schedule

London 2012: Reports

Tremendous Trott eliminates the rest in Olympic omnium

Kenny stuns Bauge in sprint to win second gold

Bronze for Clancy while Pendleton marches on

Pendleton sets new Olympic record to qualify ahead of Meares

Trott, King and Rowsell keep gold medals coming

Kenny lights up a stuttering men's sprint competition

Track day two: Pendleton and team pursuiters deliver more gold

Track cycling day one: Hoy leads team sprinters to gold

Wiggins wins gold in men's time trial, bronze for Froome

Armstrong defends Olympic title in women's time trial

Cycling events medal table

Women's road race: Armitstead wins silver as Vos strikes gold

Men's road race: Vinokourov wins as Cavendish misses out

London 2012: Photos

Track day five by Andy Jones

Track day five by Graham Watson

Track day four evening session by Andy Jones

Track day four evening session by Graham Watson

Track day four morning session by Andy Jones

Track day four morning session by Phil O'Connor

Track day three evening session by Andy Jones

Track day three evening session by Phil O'Connor

Track day three morning session by Andy Jones

Track day two by Phil O'Connor

Track day two by Graham Watson

Track day one by Andy Jones

Track day one by Phil O'Connor

Track day one by Graham Watson

Men's time trial by Graham Watson

Women's time trial by Graham Watson

Pendleton track training

Women's road race by Andy Jones

Women's road race by Graham Watson

Men's road race by Andy Jones

Men's road race by Phil O'Connor

Men's road race by Graham Watson

Team GB road race training on Box Hill (July 26)

London 2012: Podcasts

Cycling Weekly podcasts on Soundcloud

 

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Simon Richardson
Magazine editor

Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.