Sir Chris Hoy will take to the stage at Alexandra Palace this evening to hand over both the Sid Waddell Trophy and the Ballon d’Art at the World Darts Championship final, mere weeks after sustaining a serious leg fracture in a mountain biking accident.
The six-time Olympic cycling champion, who continues his battle against terminal prostate cancer, had committed to the appearance before his December crash.
“I’ve smashed my leg up on the mountain bike, that’s the worst thing that’s happened recently,” Hoy told Sky Sports last month. “You just don’t bounce like you do when you’re younger.”
The 49-year-old Scot expressed optimism about his mobility improving ahead of tonight’s showpiece event.
Sir Chris Hoy is making his first public appearance since his bike accident
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PA
The Scottish sporting icon received his stage four prostate cancer diagnosis in September 2023, though he only shared the news publicly twelve months later.
Doctors have indicated he has between two and four years remaining, and he has been undergoing chemotherapy since his diagnosis.
Despite facing such devastating circumstances, Hoy has maintained a remarkably upbeat perspective.
“It’s not completely stable, there’s times where it comes back and then you have to change treatment,” he explained.
“But the fortunate thing for me in my situation, there are a number of different treatments out there.”
Sir Chris Hoy joined Paddy Power’s scheme last year, having presented the award in 2025
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SKY SPORTS
He described entering “a period of kind of stability” after responding well to treatment.
Tournament sponsors Paddy Power have been contributing £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for each maximum scored throughout the championship, with the tally reaching 1,002 before the quarter-finals commenced on New Year’s Day.
The initiative, dubbed ‘The Even Bigger 180’ campaign, has now surpassed £1million in donations.
“Fantastic to see Paddy Power ‘The Even Bigger 180’ campaign raising over £1million so far for @prostatecanceruk at the World Darts Championship with four days to go,” Hoy said.
“The funds raised will make a tangible difference in the fight against prostate cancer and help countless men and their families across the UK.”
Luke Littler and Gian van Veen will contest tonight’s final, with the victor claiming the newly doubled £1million prize.
Luke Littler powered into his third consecutive PDC World Championship final on Friday evening | GETTY
Littler, who received both trophies from Hoy twelve months ago, enters the match having accumulated 57 maximums throughout the tournament.
His Dutch opponent van Veen has registered 48 180s en route to the final, having dispatched defending champion Luke Humphries 5-1 in the quarter-finals.
Gary Anderson tops the overall 180 count with 59, though his tournament has concluded.
Sir Chris Hoy was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023 | GETTY
Humphries had claimed the inaugural Ballon d’Art last year after recording 73 maximums from a championship record of 914.