arise sir chris!!

sloxam

chris hoy now has the same amount of golds as sir matthew pinsent and 5 olympic medals in total, never mind the worlds hes won.
but will he be knighted?
is rowing a higher profile sport than cycling?
thoughts please

Fat Head

If you look at others who have been knighted he more than deserves. Not only has he excelled at his sport he is recognised as a consumate professional and role model for many inside and outside the sport. It was telling that Brailsford paid him a tribute today, the only member of the team to get explicit recognition from a man who says little to the media. For my money Brailsford should get knighted too. If Sean Conerry and Clive Woodhead got one they more than merit it.

Trickyupnorth

The scottish are naming their new commonwealth velodrome after him, story here.

And it seems that a fair few other people agree with you, story here.

Come 2012 he'll be 36 and on home soil, he'll surely win more and surpass Redgrave, Pinsent etc.

Richie

Daz555

Trickyupnorth wrote:

Come 2012 he'll be 36 and on home soil, he'll surely win more and surpass Redgrave, Pinsent etc.

He really is THE man right now and I would make him Sir Hoy The Real McHoy in an instant.

However, I reckon the biggest block to him winning any golds in 2012 will be the GB cycling team. I reckon some of these young guns will be just too good for him in 4 years.

nic_77

Well done to the whole team, including all of the background staff and management, for a awesome and inspiring performance...! 2012 velodrome tickets are going to be the hottest in town

graeme_s-2

If Kelly Holmes was made a dame for winning two golds in a single games, then Chris "first Brit to win 3 golds at a single games in a hundred years" Hoy must surely be knighted for that alone?

DavidBelcher

Fat Head wrote:

If you look at others who have been knighted he more than deserves. Not only has he excelled at his sport he is recognised as a consumate professional and role model for many inside and outside the sport. It was telling that Brailsford paid him a tribute today, the only member of the team to get explicit recognition from a man who says little to the media. For my money Brailsford should get knighted too. If Sean Conerry and Clive Woodhead got one they more than merit it.

Do you mean Clive Woodward (maybe getting him mixed up with ex-Schools Inspectorate bloke turned Times columnist Chris Woodhead)? Anyhow, sorry to be pedantic; I agree, definitely worthy of it in recognition of his achievements. Getting his name in lights on the new Commonwealth Games velodrome isn't a bad start.
On a related note, there now surely has to be a decent chance of a cyclist getting the Beeb Sports Personality of the Year award?

David

daniel_b

DavidBelcher wrote:

On a related note, there now surely has to be a decent chance of a cyclist getting the Beeb Sports Personality of the Year award?
David

Agreed, and surely the 'Team award' would have to go to GB Cycling would it not?

The football team weren't present for the Europeans in the summer, so they are not in with a chance, Rugby team, seems unlikely, so if they do class them as a team (Do they?) then it should be theirs.

Or maybe only the pursuit team etc would qualify for the team prize?

I don't think there has ever been a stronger case for a cyclist to win the award, for whatever it is worth, as nothing this high profile, in recent times, has occurred on the track, and or road - especially with Cav's 4 stage wins in the tour as an added headline maker.

Dan

richa

Reckon it is more likely that the team award would go to Team GB. I can't see them single ot the cyclists over the other medal winners (sailers, rowers, etc).

micron

Ohorrorgo will win SPOTY - a dramatic turn around from polling the lowest number of votes ever last year - but athletics gold always rates more highly than any other kind Hoy's achievement went virtually unnoticed once Ohorrorgo had done her stuff.

captain_oakley

Totally agree, even more so once the beeb's Diversity Dept get their teeth into things,
who said 'Brainwasing ' was dead!!


'A Star is Porn'

RichN95.

RichA wrote:

Reckon it is more likely that the team award would go to Team GB. I can't see them single ot the cyclists over the other medal winners (sailers, rowers, etc).

I think you're probably right

But David Brailsford will win coach of the year (i know he doesn't do any coaching - but he's the figurehead) and Sir Chris must win SPOTY (particularly with the well known powerful reality TV Scottish vote)

I expect no less than

Sir Chris Hoy
Sir Peter Keen
Bradley Wiggins CBE
David Brailsford CBE
MBEs for all the other gold medallists + Cav

Hoy to carry the flag at the closing ceremony and Wiggins (as a Londoner) to light the torch in 2012

Michuel

One of the 'establishment' journalists was on RadioFiveLive yesterday. He reckoned the rule for honours was one order of BE for every gold.

Capo

Whoever compiles the Honours lists shot themselves in the foot with Dame Kelly.

She won Commonwealth gold in 1994 and 2002, but her other eight medals in major champs (World, World Indoors, Commonwealth, European and Olympics) were all silver or bronze until she landed the two golds in Athens.

It hardly compares with Redgrave and Pinsent getting gold over five and four Olympics, respectively.

What it does mean, though, is that when Rebecca Adlington gets a couple of golds, people (perhaps with tongue in cheek) ask for her to be made a Dame. Hmmm. If she repeats it in 2012, maybe.

And, at the same time, Holmes was at the end of her career.

I think that Hoy and Wiggins may well end up with knighthoods - but it will be once they retire, and not just as a result of what they have done in Beijing.

Daz555

Kelly Holmes also had an MBE for services to the armed forces. This and her long athletics career probably got her the nod for the DBE.

I feel that Holmes' DBE was a little over the top, especially when you consider that Sally Gunnell had a more successful athletics career. In 1994 she held the titles of European Champion, Commonwealth Champion, World Champion, Olympic Champion and World record holder in the 400m hurdles, all at the same time!

I think this feat has only ever been repeated by Daley Thompson, Linford Christie and Jonathan Edwards.

Surely it should be Dame Sally Gunnell?

Blonde

Don't know about OBE but I went past Mancs Velodrome this a.m. on way to work and loved one commented that they ought to put a sign up saying 'Manchester Velodrome, Home of Team GB' or something - there would be no need to actually use Hoy's photo or name any names if permission isn't given by him or others for that. It would stilll be a good marketing oppurtunity and could help attract more youngsters to the sport. MEN reported yesterday that Jason Kenny will be given a 'homecoming' celebration in Bolton. Hope this involves closing roads to motorised vehicles (except dernies)! I expect that kilts will be donned for Chris Hoy when he gets back too Mmm, Chris Hoy in a kilt....

DavidBelcher

RichN95 wrote:

MBEs for all the other gold medallists + Cav

Cav may not have got an Olympic medal, but his TdF achievements ought to add weight to any prospect of getting an MBE.

David

campagsarge

And lets not forget Bradly Wiggins either. Heck, if the Cricket Team get honours and a roof top ride round the capital for royally stuffing the Aussies 2-1 in the Ashes then all the cycling team should get something. I mean, if Ian Bell can get honours then surely Cav should get something for his TdF efforts.

DavidBelcher

Blonde wrote:

loved one commented that they ought to put a sign up saying 'Manchester Velodrome, Home of Team GB' or something - there would be no need to actually use Hoy's photo or name any names if permission isn't given by him or others for that. It would stilll be a good marketing oppurtunity and could help attract more youngsters to the sport.

What a great idea - it's (a) straightforward, (c) effective and (c) relatively inexpensive. Hope someone at British Cycling is reading this and gets on the blower to a firm of signmakers soonish....

David

campagsarge

As much as it pains me to say this, they could have the strap line: 'Manchester. Home of Olympic and World Champions'.

Blonde

campagsarge wrote:

As much as it pains me to say this, they could have the strap line: 'Manchester. Home of Olympic and World Champions'.

*Small Print* "and also of bike thieving scallies... "

DavidBelcher

campagsarge wrote:

As much as it pains me to say this, they could have the strap line: 'Manchester. Home of Olympic and World Champions'.

But don't forget, on the other hand, that Yorkshire is home of those legendary "Championship Beers". Anyone fancy a pint?

David

campagsarge

Black Sheep for me please.