"About whether my body can hold on" until 2014 Commonwealth Games
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Chris Hoy is ecstatic on winning his 6th career Olympic gold(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.(Image credit: Gerry McManus)
Chris Hoy shows off his gold medal(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Great Britain's Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Chris Hoy set a world record en route to gold in the men's team sprint.(Image credit: AFP)
Chris Hoy (Great Britain) speeds toward the finish(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Four Olympic Games, six gold medals and a knighthood for services in sport - that followed his three gold medal at the Beijing Games - may be enough for the 36-year-old Hoy. After winning gold in the team sprint and keirin at the London Games, Hoy is taking time away from competition before resuming his training toward the end of this year.
Hoy has been attending the Glasgow World Cup, held in the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome named after one of Britain’s most celebrated Olympic athletes. He says he’s motivated to return to racing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games but it will all depend on his ability to return to peak condition. It’s something which the Scotsman explained became difficult in the lead-up to the London Olympics.
It will all come down to how Hoy’s body handles the return to training and whether he believes he can truly earn his spot on the Scottish team. "It's about whether my body can hold on," he told The Guardian after explaining he required constant physiotherapy for his back before the London Games.
"There's no chance I don't want to do it - the motivation is there and the desire is there," he explained to BBC Sport.
"I reckon I'll know by spring next year, having been away to Perth, done a bit of training, a little bit of racing in January and then getting back into it then. I'd be able to see whether my body's dealing with the training in the way that I'd hope," he said.
Hoy will fly to Australia in December to begin his preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow however he will not compete in the 2013 UCI Track World Championships in Minsk, Belarus. He will instead use the time to assess his training load while competing in a number of smaller events before making a final decision next year whether he will race the Commonwealth Games or not.
"I wouldn't just want to get on the team to get the tracksuit, turn up and wave to the crowd, he told BBC Sport. I want to go there to win. If I believe I can do that and I'm able to do that then I will be there."
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