Pendleton, Meares underline sprint gold ambitions

Olympic champion Victoria Pendleton and Beijing silver medallist Anna Meares set out their stall for sprint gold at the Velodrome after dominating the field in qualifying Sunday. Pendleton, who was crowned keirin champion on Friday, won the early bragging rights after posting a new Olympic record of 10.724sec for the 200m flying lap -- the opening salvo in the demanding, three-day battle for sprint gold. It beat her old Olympic record from Beijing of 10.963, but was nowhere near the world record of 10.643 held by Germany's Miriam Welte, who is not competing in the individual event. Meares was the only other rider in the 18-woman field to go under 11secs, the 29-year-old Australian clocking 10.805 to show she has the finishing form to realistically aim for a medal. China's Guo Shuang, a team sprint silver medallist on Thursday, was third in 11.020, with Kristina Vogel of Germany, who won team sprint gold with Welte, in fourth at 11.027 and Belarusian Olga Panarina fifth in 11.080. The women's sprint competition continues later Sunday with the first round, first round repechages, with the second round and its repechages round producing the eight riders for Monday's quarter-finals. In Beijing Pendleton, who is competing in her third and final Games, won gold ahead of Meares with Guo taking the bronze. The women's sprint competition ends on Tuesday.