Kiss of gold: Sir Chris Hoy equals Sir Steve Redgrave with FIFTH Olympic triumph
- Hoy, Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes win Team GB's fifth gold of London 2012
- Scot, 36, now has five golds in three Games
- Pendleton and Varnish are disqualified from women's event
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With a kiss from his proud wife Sarra, Sir Chris Hoy savours the moment when he joined the Olympic immortals.
The 36-year-old cyclist equalled Sir Steve Redgrave’s record British tally of five gold medals as he powered to victory in the men’s team sprint. It was one of three golds for Team GB yesterday.
And with an event still to come, Hoy could yet increase that total to six. His first gold came eight years ago in Athens, followed by three in Beijing in 2008. He also has a silver from Sydney in 2000.
Sir Chris Hoy celebrates victory with his proud wife Sarra
Hoy and his wife Sarra pose with the gold medal
Team GB sprint team Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes and Sir Chris Hoy pose with their gold medals
It was an evening of high drama, ecstasy and total heartbreak.
Amid extraordinary noise and excitement from 6,000 packed in the Velodrome, champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy joined Sir Steve Redgrave on five gold medals – the most by any British Olympian – as he led home the three-man team sprint in a world record time.
But his victory came just 37 minutes after the shattering disqualification of British golden girl Victoria Pendleton and her partner Jess Varnish in the women’s sprint.
There were gasps of disbelief from a crowd including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and David Cameron, as it was announced that the gold medal favourites had been ‘relegated’ after Pendleton appeared to move too early at the end of the first lap of the two-lap race.
Emotional Chris Hoy wipes away tears as the team take to the podium
Hoy is now Britain's greatest ever gold medal winner with five, alongside rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave
Record breaker: An exhausted Hoy celebrates with coach Shane Sutton at the side of the Velodrome track after his triumph in the Men's Team Sprint Track final
The devastated 31-year-old had seen her dream of three gold medals in London – her final championship before retiring – vanish in the blink of an eye.
Devastated: A shattered Victoria Pendleton has her dream dashed by disqualification
She tearfully buried her head in her hands, shaking her head in disbelief.
Britain’s cycling boss David Brailsford hurled a water bottle at a wall in frustration, while a clearly shocked Pendleton was comforted by Hoy.
She then went backstage where she was seen ‘sobbing’ with friends and family. Her partner, Jess Varnish – who is not competing in any other event – left the building without giving interviews.
Pendleton and Varnish had made a blistering start to their campaign, setting a new world record in their qualifying round only to see China better it in the next heat. They were set for a gold medal race-off against China, but then officials said they had been relegated.
Pendleton said: ‘I’m desperately disappointed for Jess because she has done an incredible job in getting this far.
'Her team sprint today was the best of her life so far. I’ve no doubt she will be back in Rio and absolutely smashing it. I’m sorry for disappointing all the people that have come to support us and perhaps not offering the ride that we would have done. I’m really sorry.’
The cyclist, who has two events left – the individual sprint and keirin – admitted: ‘We’re both partly to blame. We were a bit overwhelmed by the moment.’
Flagging: Five-time gold medal winner Hoy, draped in the Union Jack, becomes emotional as his Olympic win sinks in
Proud to be British: Hoy soaks up the adulation of the fervent home support inside the Velodrome after his historic win
Last night the German sprint pair who took gold called for a change in ‘weird’ rules governing technical disqualifications.
‘It is not the way we wanted to win,’ one said.
The contrast could not have been greater to the celebrations that greeted Hoy’s victory with Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes as they defeated France in a thrilling final win that took Britain’s gold medal tally to five – three in one day.
In formation: Great Britain's men ride towards their new world record as the Velodrome crowd look on
Philip Hindes (front), Jason Kenny (C) and Sir Chris Hoy (back) led from the start and never gave France the chance to catch them
Packed out: Great Britain's riders were roared to victory by a vociferous Velodrome crowd this evening
Hoy was in tears as Princess Anne presented him with a fifth gold of his career, a second for Kenny and a first for Hindes, 19, who competed for Germany, the country of his birth, as a junior and joined Team GB earlier this year, qualifying because his father is British.
‘It’s quite overwhelming,’ Hoy said. ‘We knew it was possible but it’s easier said than done for everyone to come good on the same day.
‘I feel immense pride to be able to do this in London, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I can’t overstate what it means. This is the most memorable medal of my career.’
He said the crowd and noise had made a ‘huge’ difference.
With the doors closed and the heating turned up, the conditions were said to be ideal for fast riding in the Velodrome, which had been built under the direction of Hoy.
And he did not disappoint, afterwards milking the applause as David Bowie’s Heroes played and the crowd acclaimed their own Team GB heroes.
Philip Hiindes lost control of his bike soon after the start of qualyifing
Fortunately for Team GB a restart was ordered, and trio stormed to a new world record
'Now and again rubbish things happen and this is one of those days. The only positives I can take is that I know I am in really good form because that was the fastest second lap I have done. I just need to get my head down and concentrate on the races to come.
'I'm desperately disappointed for Jess Varnish because she has done an incredible job in getting this far.
'Her team sprint today was the best of her life so far. I've no doubt she will be back in Rio and absolutely smashing it. I'm sorry for disappointing all the people that have come to support us and perhaps not offering the ride that we would have done. I'm really sorry.'
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