Brown meets triple gold hero Hoy

Mr Brown congratulated fellow Scot and triple gold medallist Chris Hoy

Gordon Brown has met triple gold medallist Chris Hoy at a reception in China hosted by their old university.

Both the PM and Hoy, Scotland's most successful Olympian, were students at Edinburgh, which put on a reception at the British Embassy in Beijing.

They had tea with Principal Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea and ambassador William Ehrman.

Sir Timothy said Hoy, who graduated in Applied Sport Science in 1999, was a "great ambassador for the university".

Mr Brown, who went to Edinburgh University when he was just 16, graduated with a first class honours MA aged 19 and became rector of the university in 1972.

Also at the 200-strong reception was another Edinburgh graduate, Katherine Grainger, who won silver in the women's quadruple sculls.

Sir Timothy said: "It was wonderful to meet Chris Hoy again at this event, which was a celebration of our strong sporting traditions and our long-standing links with China.

"Chris has been a great ambassador for the university since graduating in Applied Sport Science in 1999 and he, Katherine Grainger and others are continuing the story of Olympic success."

The prime minister is to meet other British Olympians in Beijing on Saturday.