Hoy to extend his career if Glasgow wins 2014 Games

CHRIS Hoy, one of Scotland's greatest Commonwealth Games athletes, has confirmed he intends to compete at the 2014 event - as long as Glasgow wins the right to host it.

The city will learn on Friday whether or not it has beaten Abuja's bid to the tape, and track cyclist Hoy, who already has two gold medals from three Commonwealth Games, will tune into the announcement from his winter training base in Western Australia.

Despite the fact he will be 38 years old in 2014, the Olympic 1km time trial champion has stated that he could not resist the allure of chasing gold medals in Scottish colours on home soil, and would almost certainly shelve his original retirement plans if the chance to ride in Glasgow arose.

"To have the Games in Scotland could be enough to tempt me away from retirement for an extra two years," said Hoy.

"I planned to stop after the 2012 Olympics in London, but what's another 24 months of training for the possibility of hearing Scotland the Brave playing on the podium in your home country?"

The 31-year-old is currently training for the Beijing Olympics, at which he will compete for Great Britain in the team sprint, because his favourite event has been scratched from the programme.

However, the 1km time trial remains part of the Commonwealth programme, meaning the Edinburgh man might yet have two more opportunities, in New Delhi in 2010 and Glasgow four years later, to emulate his Manchester gold.

"The Commonwealth Games have always meant a great deal to me for a number of reasons," he said. "First and foremost it's my only chance to compete in Scottish colours, which is something I am, and always have been, immensely proud to do.

"The '98 Games in Kuala Lumpur was my first real major event and, although I didn't win a medal, or even get close, it inspired me to fully commit to my training and put everything I had into my sport.

"To win the gold four years later in Manchester was a significant point in my career and acted as the springboard to my world and Olympic titles. I still look back on that night with great fondness and emotion."

Hoy, awarded an MBE in 2005, also won bronze in the team sprint in Manchester with Craig MacLean and Ross Edgar, and the Scots trio turned it into gold last year in Melbourne, where Hoy suffered a rare defeat in the time trial, finishing third.

The 71 nations of the Commonwealth Games Federation will convene on Friday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to vote for the 2014 hosts in a secret ballot.

Gymnast Steve Frew, who won gold on the rings in Manchester, and silver medal-winning bowler Kay Moran joined First Minister Alex Salmond on a flight out of Glasgow yesterday to join the rest of the Scots delegation in Colombo.

Salmond said that the team would be appealing to "the head and the heart" as they persuaded delegates to vote for Glasgow.

Also joined on the flight by sports minister Stewart Maxwell, Salmond believes that Glasgow has a good chance of holding off the challenge of Abuja and securing the Games.

He said: "I think our chances are excellent. We are certainly not complacent, we are confident, not over-confident.

"We've got a bid that appeals to the head and the heart. The head because this is technically a fantastic bid for Scotland and also we are dealing with the heart saying Scotland is anxious to be a fully-fledged member of the Commonwealth association of nations. We go out with high hopes and brave hearts."

The First Minister said that a key strength of the bid lay in the fact that 70 per cent of the facilities which will be used should the Games come to Glasgow are already in place. Scotland also plans to ensure that all nations are provided with footage of their athletes competing.

But, despite this confidence, Salmond said the bid team are not easing off in their campaign and will work hard up to the last minute. "The next few days are absolutely vital because we are dealing with an electorate of 71 people," he added.

FREW EYES INCENTIVE

STEVE Frew, who won a gold medal on the rings in Manchester in 2002, says that Scottish sport would get a huge boost if Glasgow was to secure the 2014 Commonwealth Games this week.

"It's going to provide an opportunity and a great incentive for youngsters to become involved in sport and I think the warmth of the Glasgow people could give the best Games ever," said Frew, who flew to Colombo yesterday.

"Any Commonwealth Games is a great opportunity to show the world your talent in your sport and I think having the Games in Glasgow and performing in front of a home crowd would be a wonderful experience for the Scottish athletes."

Bowler Kay Moran, also part of Scotland's bid team, said yesterday: "I think it would be great because we've got so many good facilities."