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This Life: Man of bronze
Sydney Olympics medal-winning cyclist Jonny Clay talks to Jayne Dawson about tears at Team GB's Beijing triumphs, meeting the Queen and his bricklaying prowess
Leeds sportsman Jonny Clay, 45, won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4km team pursuit at Sydney in 2000 and a silver medal in the World Championships a few weeks later.
Today he works for British Sport organising cycling events and lives in Horsforth, with his wife Danielle, a former international cyclist who now works as a dietician, and their three children.
The last six weeks of my career were the best. I was a full time cyclist for 14 years and then in those last weeks I won the Olympic bronze and the World Championship silver. I was 37. Then I retired.
The last time I cried was during the Olympics. My eyes filled up when I watched our guys getting their cycling medals at the Olympics. I know most of them and I knew how they were feeling – it really doesn't sink in until later. I cry easily, but I was always going to cry at that.
I don't cycle now. I have a bike but it doesn't get much use, if I have time to exercise I run instead. My sport was the team pursuit because I wasn't built for the sprint races, I was more of an endurance athlete. There wasn't much psychological training for athletes in my day, I wish there had been, it would have been a great help. I always had drive though
My first bike memory is when I was about four. I had this bike with little white wheels and I was riding it along the pavement when suddenly I ran over something. It was a tortoise, it was okay though. Everyone seemed to have a tortoise for a pet when I was a kid.
It might surprise people to know that I'm a national champion bricklayer. I left school at 16, by which time I was already a competitive cyclist, and became an apprentice with Wimpey Homes.
Part of the time I went to building college and I won the annual competition between all the colleges when I was 18.
I've just built a two-storey extension on my house, it took a year and a half.
I missed out on the Olympic Games in Los Angeles because I was just too young to be at my best, then I missed Seoul, Barcelona and Atlanta because I was a professional cyclist, but by Sydney the rules had changed and I could compete.
At 37 I was old in cycling terms though. I was probably at my strongest in the 30s but the problem is that recovery takes longer.
I had a good childhood, both my parents were competitive cyclists and I followed them, but my brother and sister didn't.
My mum was a multi-national champion on track and my dad was a semi-professional cyclist.
I never had much chance to go off the rails because I started flirting with competitive cycling at the age of 10 or 11 and I was serious about it from the age of 15.
Competitive cycling is all about training, resting, and eating and drinking the right things.
I don't push my children towards cycling, I'd like them to be sporty but to keep it as broad as possible for as long as possible and not specialise in anything early.
The best thing about Leeds is the restaurants, I like eating out. I've always lived in Leeds, I grew up in Horsforth and I've lived there all my life, which I think must make me a bit boring
I've been given so much advice to do with cycling over the years, it was endless but the best advice I ever received was when I went to live and train in France for a couple of years after I had finished my bricklaying apprenticeship.
Someone told me to remember to get to the bar first to buy the coffees or the drinks. It's about more than buying a round, it's about being hospitable with people in general.
My first love was called Tracey, I was about 13 and I was besotted with her. She didn't feel the same, she ignored me.
I always wanted to meet the Queen and after the Sydney Olympics I did. All the medal winners were invited to a private audience with her. But I don't really have any heroes.
I really regret not writing to Jim'll Fix It when I was young. I always wanted to train with Eddy Merckx, who was a great Belgian cyclist.
Jimmy was a cyclist too and I'm certain he would have sorted that.
People will say that I am pessimistic, but I think I'm a realist. I am pragmatic but I still have my dreams, I think everyone does.
I'm rubbish at jokes but my boy Lewis told me this one the other day which I liked:
Why is eight scared of seven.........because seven ate nine.
My favorite things...
Favourite food: Indian.
Favourite programme: Factual programmes, I can't stand all that reality TV stuff.
Favourite author: I don't read.
Favourite actor: Tommy Lee Jones.
Star sign: Cancer.
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Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
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