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Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy reveals terminal cancer diagnosis

Six-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy has said that his cancer diagnosis is terminal.

The former Team GB track cyclist said that he has been told he has between two and four years to live.

Hoy, 48, had revealed his cancer diagnosis in a post on Instagram in February in which he said his treatment was "going really well," he was "optimistic" and was "continuing to work, ride my bike and live my life as normal."

But in an interview with The Sunday Times, Hoy said that he had been told at the time that his illness could not be cured.

Hoy said that he had sought treatment for a shoulder issue and was surprised to be told that a scan had showed a tumour. Further scans revealed cancer in his prostate that had metastasised to his bones, leading to tumours in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and rib.

He said that he had struggled to come to terms with his condition, adding that "most of the battle for me with cancer hasn't been physical. For me, it has been in my head."

The former athlete also divulged that his wife Sarra, with whom he has two children, has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis -- a degenerative condition that affects the brain and nerves.

Hoy, who has written a memoir about the past year, said: "Hand on heart, I'm pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness. This is bigger than the Olympics. It's bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy.

"There's so much positivity that can come out of this from all angles. I'm just really excited that this book hopefully will be able to help people."

Hoy was at the vanguard of Britain's era of domination in track cycling as the sprint specialist claimed 11 world titles during a glittering career.

The Scot was knighted after winning three gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He was named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 2008 and appeared on the broadcaster's coverage of the Games in Paris this summer.