The Scotsman is a former track cyclist who competed in four summer Olympic Games. He grew up in Murrayfield near Edinburgh and first jumped on a bike at the age of six after he was inspired by the 1982 film ET. Before he moved on to track cycling, he rode a BMX bike until the age of 15 and was ranked second in Britain, fifth in Europe and ninth in the world.
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Hoy has said that he first noticed track cycling during the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh when Scottish sprinter Eddie Alexander won a bronze medal. Away from cycling, Hoy was sporty in other fields – representing Scotland in the Junior rowing team and playing rugby at school. In February 2024, Hoy revealed he was undergoing treatment for cancer. He said the shock diagnosis came in 2023 during a check-up – despite him not having any symptoms. Hoy took to Instagram to make fans aware of his health struggles. He wrote: “I have a bit of news.
Proud dad Sir Chris Hoy can’t contain his joy as son Callum masters his new bike in adorable video
“Last year I was diagnosed with cancer, which came as a huge shock, having had no symptoms up to that point. “I’m currently receiving treatment including chemotherapy, which thankfully is going really well. “I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals for their amazing help and care. “For the sake of my young family, I had hoped to keep this information private but regrettably our hand has been forced. “Whilst I’m thankful for any support, I’d like to deal with this privately.”
But Sir Chris in fact knew that the cancer was terminal and that the treatment was “management”.
He went on to commentate the cycling events for the BBC at this year’s Paris Olympics despite his terminal cancer diagnosis.
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The star had gone to the doctor in September last year after feeling a strain in his shoulder.
A tumour was found in his shoulder – before a second scan found the primary cancer in his prostate.
The prostate cancer had metastasised to Sir Chris’s bones – including his shoulder, pelvis, ribs, spine and ribs.
He has revealed today that he has terminal cancer and has been given two to four years to live.
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Brave Sir Chris told the Sunday Times: “As unnatural as it feels, this is nature.
“You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.
“You remind yourself, aren’t I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible.”
Team GB cycling legend Sir Chris and his wife Sarra have two children, seven-year-old Chloe and 10-year-old Callum.
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Sir Chris recounted how he told his children that no-one lives for ever but he hopes to “be here for many, many more years”.
He began chemotherapy in November, wearing an extremely painful cold cap to keep his hair.
The sportsman suffered a violent allergic reaction in gruelling chemo sessions – but only missed five days of training on a bike.
He has now written a heartbreaking memoir detailing his experience of terminal cancer.
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Sir Chris revealed that his wife Sarra was diagnosed with incurable and degenerative multiple sclerosis just weeks before his cancer shock.
The couple have chosen low-risk but less effective treatments for Sarra’s MS.
On some days Sarra struggles to fit in the key in the door, Sir Chris said.
The couple have not yet told their two children about Sarra’s MS diagnosis.
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Sir Chris said recording the audio version of his memoir is the hardest thing he has ever done.
The book ends with Sir Chris’s message to his children – which he said will be the words they listen to when he is gone.
All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet by Sir Chris Hoy is published on November 7.
How old is he?
Hoy celebrated his 47th birthday in March 2023. And he’s achieved a lot in his time. Hoy is an 11-time world champion, with more than half of those medals landed at the Olympics. In 2009, Hoy was knighted by the Prince of Wales for “services to sport” at the same time his mother, Carol, received an MBE for services to nursing.
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How many Olympic medals has he won?
Hoy is an 11-time world champion and six-time Olympic champion – which makes him the second most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time. His three gold medals at the 2008 Olympics secured him the spot of Scotland’s most successful Olympian and he became the first British athlete to win three gold medals in a single games since Henry Taylor in 1908. Olympics 2000 – silver, team sprint (with Craig MacLean and Jason Queally) 2004 – gold, 1km track time trial 2008 – 3 gold, Team sprint (with Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff), Keirin, Sprint 2012 – 2 gold, Team sprint (with Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes), Keirin World Championships 1999 – silver, team sprint 2000 – silver, team sprint 2001 – bronze, team sprint 2002 – 2 gold, 1km time trial, team sprint 2003 – bronze, team sprint 2004 – gold, 1km time trial – bronze, team sprint 2005 – gold, team sprint – bronze, 1km time trial 2006 – gold, 1km time trial – silver, team sprint 2007 – 2 gold, keirin, 1km time trial – silver, team sprint 2008 – 2 gold, sprint, keirin – silver, team sprint 2010 – gold, keirin – bronze, team sprint 2011 – 3 silver, keirin, team sprint, sprint 2012 – gold, keirin – bronze, sprint Commonwealth Games 2002 – gold, 1km time trial – bronze, team sprint (with Craig MacLean and Ross Edgar) 2006 – gold, team sprint (Craig MacLean and Ross Edgar) – bronze, 1km time trial
How many children does he have?
Hoy has been married to wife Sarra since 2010 when they tied the knot at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. They have two children – a son Callum and daughter Chloe. The pair opened up about their struggles in 2021 as both of their children were born premature. Son Callum was born 11 weeks early on October 15, 2014, with Sarra opening up about the trauma that still plagues her. She told the Yorkshire Post: “It was 24 hours before I even saw him. “It was four days before I could hold him and it was like holding a frail baby bird. It was terrifying. “You are separated from your baby by this huge plastic box and they are covered in wires and tubes. They look so fragile you are worried that you will hurt them.” Hoy and his wife’s daughter Chloe was also born premature – about three weeks early. Sarra said: “No one prepares you for having a preterm baby, it is knowing what you can contribute. I was encouraged to touch Callum, but you are scared because they look so fragile.”
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Sarra and Hoy have two children – Callum and ChloeCredit: Sarra Hoy
The former UFC heavyweight champion returned to MMA action for the first time in over two years and needed less than four minutes to dispatch Renan Ferreira in devastating fashion to cap off PFL: Battle of the Giants.
While he’s so well known for his fight finishing power on the feet, Ngannou actually delivered a single takedown to start the fight and he never let Ferreira back up again. Once Ferreira got stuck in a bad spot on the canvas, Ngannou unleashed some truly vicious ground and pound that just started hammering away at the PFL heavyweight champion.
With each punch, Ferreira’s defense crumbled and Ngannou wasn’t slowing down until the fight was stopped. Referee Dan Miragliotta mercifully stepped in to rescue Ferreira at 3:32 in the first round as Ngannou secures his first win under the PFL banner.
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Following the win, Ngannou was emotional as he dedicated the performance to his son Kobe, who passed away earlier this year at just 15 months old.
“I can’t just think about anything than my son Kobe,” Ngannou said. “I only take this fight for him. I hope they can remember his name because without Kobe, I wouldn’t be here tonight.
“It’s been tough. Not only the training camp was tough but the last two days was tough, full of emotion. I couldn’t do anything without thinking about it. It’s hard. This is for Kobe.”
The emotional turmoil seemingly fueled Ngannou to one of his most dominant victories as he displayed his full range of weapons to beat Ferreira on Saturday.
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Some heavy leather thrown to start the fight led to the takedown from Ngannou as he planted the giant Brazilian on the canvas. While Ngannou looked to inflict damage from the top, Ferreira managed to toss up a triangle choke attempt from the bottom.
Ngannou resisted the submission before breaking free as Ferreira desperately tried to scramble free but soon he was eating punches from the terrifying heavyweight on top of him. With Ferreira basically just covering up and not offering much resistance, Ngannou just began unloading shots in succession.
Ferreira appeared severely dazed before just falling flat on his stomach as Ngannou kept throwing bombs until the referee finally stopped the onslaught. Following the win, Ngannou remained down on the canvas for several moments as he embraced his coaches and let the wave of emotion finally wash over him.
The win moves Ngannou to 1-0 in the PFL after the promotion made a huge investment in him as a free agent following the end of his UFC career. As far as what comes next, Ngannou wasn’t ready to speculate just yet if he’s going to stick around in MMA or perhaps return to boxing because the only thing on his mind was paying tribute to his son with this win.
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“I knew I didn’t miss a step,” Ngannou said about his comeback. “I wasn’t worried about it. I knew everything was still there. It was just about me being able to manage my emotion. We’re here, we finally get the result
“I think my next move in combat sports all depends on me, how I feel. I always thought I still had a lot to give in combat sports. Hopefully I keep thinking that way.”
Light-welterweight contender Adam Azim passed his toughest test to date with an impressive eighth-round stoppage win over Ohara Davies at London’s Copper Box Arena.
The 22-year-old from Slough dropped Davies with a body shot in the fifth round.
Davies, 32, gallantly fought on but was floored again three rounds later as a left hook landed flush.
The contest was waved off by the referee before he noticed Davies’ corner frantically waving the towel.
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“It was my best performance. I had to be very switched on for him,” Azim, now unbeaten in 12 pro fights, said.
Azim expects to face Harlem Eubank next and then settle a rivalry with Sheffield’s Dalton Smith in 2025.
The pair were ordered to fight for the European title but Azim vacated his belt, leading to a public spat between the two teams.
Davies, meanwhile, said it “might be the end” for his career, after a fourth defeat in 29 pro fights.
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“I feel like you have to know when your time is done. You don’t want to stay in this sport for too long and take too much,” he added.
At Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou (18-3) pounded Renan Ferreira (13-4) into unconsciousness with ground-and-pound punches from back mount for a knockout stoppage at 3:32 of Round 1.
Ngannou, 38, took the fight to the ground early. From there, Ferreira shot up a triangle. Once Ngannou escaped, it was practically game over. The former UFC heavyweight champion who never lost his title blasted his opponent with big punches to end the fight.
The bout was Ngannou’s first in MMA since his UFC departure in early 2023. He competed twice in boxing vs. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, and lost both bouts. The first was by controversial split decision. The second was a knockout defeat.
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Ferreira’s four-fight winning streak comes to an end. He emerged as the best option for Ngannou after knockout wins over Matheus Scheffel, Maurice Greene, Denis Goltsov, and Ryan Bader.
Up-to-the-minute PFL: Battle of the Giants results include:
MAIN CARD (DAZN pay-per-view, 4 p.m. ET)
Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira via knockout (ground-and-pound) – Round 1, 3:32
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