Hoy attacks 'ridiculous' plan for Scottish Olympics team

SPORTING legend Chris Hoy has slammed SNP proposals to create a Scottish Olympic team, branding the idea as "ridiculous".

Edinburgh's four-time gold medallist said he would not have secured his Beijing cycling hat-tick if he had not been part of a British team.

However, SNP Lothians MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville insisted there should be a separate Scottish Olympic team.

She said: "Chris Hoy is entitled to his own opinion and he has clearly done a fantastic job at the Olympic Games, but I think a Scottish team is still important and I would support the idea."

She said other home countries could decide whether to enter separate teams into the Olympics, but stressed there were examples of small nations like Scotland doing well at the Games.

She said: "People have to look at what level they want to represent their country at."

Hoy yesterday dismissed calls from sports minister Stewart Maxwell for a devolved team, stressing major funding would have to be pumped into the country's sporting scene before a Scotland team could even be considered.

Speaking in Beijing, Hoy said: "Before there are any discussions of Scotland going it alone at the Olympics, he would have to look at the facilities and the resources that have been put into Scotland in the first place.

"At the moment we don't have an international facility for cycling and we don't have the coaching structures in place. In fact, we don't have anything in place, so the whole idea is ridiculous.

"I wouldn't have three gold medals hanging round my neck if I wasn't part of the British athletic team. I'm a Scottish athlete in a British team, and I'm proud to be a British athlete."

Hoy has not lived in Scotland for nine years as there is nowhere for him to train.

Instead, he must live in Manchester, home of the National Cycling Centre, where there is one of only two indoor velodromes in the UK.

Simon Clegg, British Olympic Association chairman, attacked Mr Maxwell's call, pointing out that Scottish athletes would have won two fewer medals if they had been part of a separate team - Hoy in the team sprint and Katherine Grainger in the team rowing.

Hoy began his career at the Capital's Meadowbank Stadium Velodrome which is earmarked for demolition by the council.

Today, his uncle, Derek Hoy, said his nephew would turn down a knighthood – expected to be bestowed on the cyclist – if it meant the facility could be retained and refurbished.

He said: "Given the choice of saving Meadowbank or getting a knighthood, he'd choose Meadowbank in a flash. It means so much to him.

"The facility has a great international reputation. If you lose Meadowbank, you lose the reputation as well and that will be extremely sad."

Portobello High School teacher Eric Easton today also backed calls to save the cycling facility . He said: "The velodrome needs a little TLC, but it is loved and my pupils can see the facility is good enough to take them to the top.

"I would love to be able to take more groups of pupils there and introduce them to the sport."





Star lined up by cereal firm for adverts
TRIPLE Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy is set to become the new face of Scott's Porage Oats, as the company revealed it wants to sign up the cyclist.

The firm believes that Hoy has all the ingredients to star in their adverts.

A source at Scott's parent company Quaker reportedly said: "We think Chris would be great as the next face of Scott's Porage Oats.

"He is strong and healthy, good-looking and a Scottish hero — he's the perfect icon. It's not at boardroom level yet but we're certainly keen to get him signed up if he's interested."

The company jazzed-up their advertising a decade ago when actor Rory McCann became the face of Porage Oats.

A Scott's spokeswoman said that Chris would be a great ambassador for the cereal.

PR guru Max Clifford has revealed he has been asked to represent the 32-year-old.

Mr Clifford also told an assembled crowd at the Edinburgh International Television Festival that Hoy was more deserving of fame than many of the reality TV stars he represents.

He said stars such as Kerry Katona and Jade Goody were merely desperate for fame, whereas Hoy and his fellow Olympians had real talent.

He said: "Chris is a dream. He's an outstanding athlete. It will be very easy for him to earn £1million every year for the next four years."