Hoy says he can win three gold medals in London

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Sir Chris Hoy has sent an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of next year's London Olympic Games, saying he believes he can repeat his Beijing performance from 2008, and win three gold medals.

Should this occur, Hoy would become the most successful British Olympian, surpassing the record of rowing phenomenon Sir Steve Redgrave who won five gold medals. Hoy won his first with victory in the kilo at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, before his Beijing haul in the team sprint, keirin and the sprint. Redgrave by comparison won his gold medals over each Olympics from Los Angeles in 1984 and the Sydney 2000 Games.

"For me London is the big one and I aim to be the best I've ever been and repeat what I did in Beijing," Hoy told BBC Sport.

"My target is to go for three events in London and win three gold medals, it is as simple as that."

Hoy has not been discouraged by his comparatively disappointing performance at the UCI Track World Championships in March, where he went home with a silver medal in the keirin and two bronze medals garnered in the sprint and team sprint. It was the first time the 35-year-old Scotsman had missed out on a gold medal at the event since 2003.

"The plan is written, I've got the training programme, it's all there locked away and I'm very excited and motivated by it and I'm working harder than I've ever worked before," he said.

"I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think it would be possible [to win] again. I don't go there just for the sake of turning up, and with our team you wouldn't get there because the standard is so high.

"I believe I have what it takes to do it again. You do the best you can and hope it's good enough. I thrive on the pressure," Hoy added.

Earlier this month, Hoy said he was not ruling out competing at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.