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Hoy sprints to another gold

by VeloNews.com

• August 19, 2008
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By Agence France Presse

Chris Hoy collected his third gold after defeating teammate Jason Kenny in the sprint.

Photo: Graham Watson

Flying Scotsman Chris Hoy equaled a 100-year-old British Olympic record on his way to winning his third gold medal of the Beijing Games on Tuesday.

Hoy, who had already won gold in the team sprint and keirin, claimed his first ever Olympic sprint crown after a dominant display over teammate Jason Kenny. Hoy claimed his third gold medal of the Games, and fourth of his career, after beating England’s Kenny in two successive sprints.

Kenny, a 20-year-old from Bolton, England, who is competing in his first Olympics, picked up the silver and will go home with two medals having won gold in the team sprint with Hoy and third team member Jamie Staff of England.

Hoy defeated teammate Jason Kenny in the gold medal round.

Photo: Agence France Presse

The bronze medal went to Mickael Bourgain of France after he dominated Germany’s Maximilian Levy in a third leg decider.

The 32-year-old Hoy, who was born in Edinburgh, now has a total of five Olympic medals, four of them gold.

In Athens he won the kilometer time trial crown on its last Olympic appearance and in Sydney four years earlier he claimed silver in the team sprint behind France.

Hoy and Kenny duke it out in the sprint.

Photo: Graham Watson

The last time a British athlete won three Olympic golds in a single edition of the Games was in 1908 when swimmer Henry Cotton took triple gold.

After his displays in the keirin and team sprint, in which he was unbeaten, Hoy went into the final against his younger teammate as the big favorite.

However Kenny has been one of the revelations of the track in Beijing, and gave Hoy a run for his money in their first match where Hoy had to make an effort to come back and take the win at the finish.

With victory in sight, Hoy kept Kenny on a tighter rein in the second match, and although it was neck and neck coming round the final bend Hoy was celebrating before he came over the finish line.

Photo Gallery

Results

Sprint
Final
Chris Hoy (GBR) 10.228 and 10.216 defeats Jason Kenny (GBR)

Bronze medal race
Mickael Bourgain (FRA) 11.047 and 10.560 defeats Maximilian Levy (GER) 10.666

Semi-finals
Chris Hoy (GBR) 10.260 and 10.358 defeats Mickael Bourgain (FRA)

Jason Kenny (GBR) 10.594 and 10.335 defeats Maximilian Levy (GER)

Places 5-8
5. Kevin Sireau (FRA) 10.719
6. Teun Mulder (NED)
7. Theo Bos (NED)
8. Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (MAS)