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“A Lovely Guy”: Olympic Champion Sir Chris Hoy’s Cancer Diagnosis Moves Fans To Share Heartfelt Support

Published 02/17/2024, 9:45 AM EST

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180 riders are preparing for the road cycling events at the Olympics, a sport that is closely linked to both Olympic history and the host country, France. Olympic gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy, who won gold in the games in 2004, 2008, and 2012—recently announced his struggle with cancer on Instagram.

The announcement drew mixed reactions on the internet, as Hoy’ mentioned feeling “forced” to disclose the information. The 47-year-old cyclist received immense support, as he boldly stated that cancer would not stop him from attending the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Chris Hoy receives national support

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In addition to winning six medals in the Olympics, Sir Chris Hoy’s determination in 2008 won him distinction as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In 2014, this honor was followed by a Lifetime Achievement award. He is still a symbol of strength today as acknowledged by TeamGB on X. The shoutout post with Hoy’s Olympic picture was accompanied by the caption, “Chris Hoy is a hero to many, including all of us at Team GB. Our love and thoughts go to Chris and his family. He is, and will continue to be, an inspiration to us all.”

Hoy, an 11-time world champion, was the most decorated Olympic cyclist in history and the most successful British Olympian until 2021. In 2021, rival and teammate Sir Jason Kenny surpassed his records. Still, Hoy’s 17 world championships in four different categories cement his status as the world’s most accomplished track rider.

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Yesterday, Great Britain’s star track cycle rider took to Instagram and disclosed how the diagnosis came in last in. He wrote, “As you might imagine, the last few months have been incredibly difficult. It’s an exciting year of work ahead, not least with the Paris Olympics in July. I can’t wait to get stuck in, have fun and share it with you all.” He also shared, “I had hoped to keep this information private but regrettably our hand has been forced.” This unexpected disclosure saw some mixed messages from the fans of the icon.

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Fans react to legend’s health update

There was a lineup of comments spreading warmth and love for Sir Chris Hoy after the announcement while others took his side about the unwilling update. One wrote, “One of our greatest Olympians ever and a lovely guy, sending positive thoughts and to those responsible your a disgrace!!!” “Wishing Sir Chris a full speedy recovery,” wrote a well-wisher and another hailed, “Scots Legend.” “The is and always be a battler and in dealing with cancer he will be no different,” someone cheered for their brave athlete. 

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However, others were not so happy about the way he shared the news, as one said, “Such a shame that the media forced Chris into having to make the announcement to the world. Sickening media behavior as usual.” While the cycling legend recovers surrounded by all the love, his optimistic approach continues to be far-fetched from dimming around the Olympics scene.

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Written by:

Divya Purohit

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Divya Purohit is a senior Olympics Sports writer for EssentiallySports. She majorly covers gymnastics, alpine skiing, and horse racing. While bringing the detailed stats of gymnastics to the American readers, she covered two prominent events - the 2023 Xfinity Gymnastics Championships, and the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
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Edited by:

Sampurna Pal