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167160
Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:02
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http://m.oananews.org//node/167160
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Meares finally has sprint confidence
SYDNEY, March 10 (AAP) - Australian track cycling star Anna Meares finally has the form and belief to win the coveted sprint world title.
She has revealed she will bypass her pet event, the 500m time title, to focus on the match sprint later this month at the championships in the Netherlands.
The 27-year-old has never won a sprint world crown, but has beaten British ace Victoria Pendleton twice at World Cups this season to prove she is finally a legitimate title contender in the event.
Meares will also defend the team sprint world title with partner Kaarle McCulloch and will ride in the keirin.
"I guess I've never been in a position where I've been challenging for a sprint world title - I've been close on occasion, at other times I haven't even been in the contest," Meares said.
"For a long time I've been around the mark, but I've never, ever won the damned thing.
"Gary (coach Gary West) said to me yesterday that you really have to work very hard, sometimes for a very long time, to be ready to challenge for the title - let alone win it.
"This is the best form, both physically and mentally, that I've gone to the world title with, prepared to give it my all in this event."
Pendleton has won five match sprint world titles and is the acknowledged queen of women's track sprinting.
While Meares has now beaten her twice, something the Australian has never done in the same season, she knows better than to discount Pendleton.
"If Vicki lost every event between now and the London Olympics, she'd still be the biggest threat in the women's field," Meares said.
"You cannot, by any means, lose any respect for the fight and the drive that she brings to this event."
Pendleton thrashed Meares 2-0 in the gold medal ride-off at the Beijing Olympics.
The Australian said Pendleton, Chinese star Shuang Guo and Olga Panarina would be the riders to beat in the sprint at the worlds.
The 500 is no longer an Olympic event, but the women's sprint, keirin and team sprint are all on the London Games schedule.
Meares has held the 500 world record and won Olympic gold in the event at the 2004 Olympics.
"That has been a very hard decision to come to and I think it took Gary a good couple of months to build up the courage to bring to my attention," she said.
"This year for me is about achieving something I've never achieved."
Meares said she would definitely ride the 500 at next year's world titles in Melbourne before the London Olympics.
She has also heaped praise on McCulloch, 23, a rising star in the sport, and predicts her team sprint partner will be an individual track world champion.
Meares and McCulloch will be among the medal favourites for the team sprint at the world titles.
She has revealed she will bypass her pet event, the 500m time title, to focus on the match sprint later this month at the championships in the Netherlands.
The 27-year-old has never won a sprint world crown, but has beaten British ace Victoria Pendleton twice at World Cups this season to prove she is finally a legitimate title contender in the event.
Meares will also defend the team sprint world title with partner Kaarle McCulloch and will ride in the keirin.
"I guess I've never been in a position where I've been challenging for a sprint world title - I've been close on occasion, at other times I haven't even been in the contest," Meares said.
"For a long time I've been around the mark, but I've never, ever won the damned thing.
"Gary (coach Gary West) said to me yesterday that you really have to work very hard, sometimes for a very long time, to be ready to challenge for the title - let alone win it.
"This is the best form, both physically and mentally, that I've gone to the world title with, prepared to give it my all in this event."
Pendleton has won five match sprint world titles and is the acknowledged queen of women's track sprinting.
While Meares has now beaten her twice, something the Australian has never done in the same season, she knows better than to discount Pendleton.
"If Vicki lost every event between now and the London Olympics, she'd still be the biggest threat in the women's field," Meares said.
"You cannot, by any means, lose any respect for the fight and the drive that she brings to this event."
Pendleton thrashed Meares 2-0 in the gold medal ride-off at the Beijing Olympics.
The Australian said Pendleton, Chinese star Shuang Guo and Olga Panarina would be the riders to beat in the sprint at the worlds.
The 500 is no longer an Olympic event, but the women's sprint, keirin and team sprint are all on the London Games schedule.
Meares has held the 500 world record and won Olympic gold in the event at the 2004 Olympics.
"That has been a very hard decision to come to and I think it took Gary a good couple of months to build up the courage to bring to my attention," she said.
"This year for me is about achieving something I've never achieved."
Meares said she would definitely ride the 500 at next year's world titles in Melbourne before the London Olympics.
She has also heaped praise on McCulloch, 23, a rising star in the sport, and predicts her team sprint partner will be an individual track world champion.
Meares and McCulloch will be among the medal favourites for the team sprint at the world titles.
