Olympics cycling: Sir Chris Hoy wins sixth gold with keirin win

Sir Chris Hoy claimed a British record sixth Olympic gold medal with a breath-taking victory in the keirin.

Having won gold on the first night of the track cycling programme in the men's team sprint, Hoy's triumph was the perfect finale for Team GB.

Hoy's six golds take him past rowing great Sir Steve Redgrave's five.

And with a silver from Sydney 2000 as well, he equals Bradley Wiggins's record total of seven medals.

The 36-year-old Scot is sure he will not carry on for a fifth Games in 2016, but he is already assured of his status as track cycling's greatest ever sprinter.

Hoy, the defending Olympic and four-time world champion, hit the front with a lap to go and while he was momentarily overtaken by Germany's Maximilian Levy on the back straight, he came roaring back to win by a bike length.

Levy, the silver medallist at the world championships in April, had to settle for second again, with Teun Mulder of the Netherlands and Simon van Velthooven crossing the line together for third and a bronze medal each.

 

"I'm in shock. You try and compose yourself but it's surreal," said Hoy. "I wanted to win gold in front of my home crowd. I saw everyone stepping up to the plate and thankfully it worked out for me too.

"The keirin is a lottery and you never take anything for granted in it. I can't describe the feelings I have at the moment. This is enough for me, this is the perfect end to my Olympic career.

"I can't put into words what it means to me. It's one of the greatest feelings I have ever had.

"I'm 99.9% sure I won't be competing in Rio. How can you top this? [The Commonwealth Games in] Glasgow is another question, as that would be the dream ending for me."

With a combination of bravery, cunning and power, the keirin is always a favourite with the crowd.

An eight-lap race, the six riders spend the first five-and-a-half of those riding behind a small motorbike, or derny.

The speed is slowly ratcheted up before the derny peels away to unleash an almighty charge for the line.