SIR CHRIS HOY is to work with Scottish rugby players and cyclists as he steps off his bike as a competitor but strides into a role as mentor to aspiring sportsmen and women.
Britain's greatest Olympian confirmed his retirement from the sport at a press conference in Edinburgh yesterday but the 37-year-old immediately revealed that he would be working with the Scottish Rugby Union and Scottish Cycling, passing on his experience to another generation of competitors.
Hoy, 37, who has won six Olympic gold medals, confirmed he would not be competing in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year in the velodrome named after him.
However, he disclosed that he would be part of an SRU advisory group and would be available to chat with players about his experiences.
As Chris Paterson, the former Scottish rugby captain, looked on, Hoy told the news conference at Murrayfield: "It is a massive compliment and I am very pleased to have been asked. A few days in the year I will come down here and chat with the guys.''
Days after Gary Coltman, Scottish Cycling's performance director, told Herald Sport that he would welcome Hoy's input into the future of the sport, the 37-year-old Olympian said he would be there to guide cyclists through the pressure and expectation of a home Games. "I would like to meet the guys in training, as a group and individually. They should not be forced into this, I am just saying that the offer is there,'' said Hoy.
He said he would adopt the practice of Team GB where support is available but use of certain services was not compulsory.
He said of Steve Peters, Team GB's psychiatrist: "Some athletes would never see him but others would knock on his door every week. I am not forcing my services on the whole team but if anyone wants to come to speak with me and chat through anything, anything I can help them with, then I will be there. It would be nice to think I could have a small impact on things.''
He recalled the positive impact a visit by Allan Wells, the gold medal sprinter, and Gavin Hastings, the rugby player, had on Scottish competitors at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
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