Meares, who this year won three gold medals at the World Track Cycling Championships in Holland, joins an impressive line-up of stars, named by organisers as those who could make the shortlist for the prize which is announced in February.

fact amassed a total of 26 made up of 19 elite and seven junior titles.

 

"Won the sprint title tonight, thought it was my 25th crown but I was wrong...it seems it was my 26th. That's very cool," tweeted Meares after leaving the track. Apparently, Meares, who also has Olympic, Commonwealth and World titles to her name has one medal that is a little tarnished that she had thought to be silver but is in fact gold.

Meares, 27, who set a championship record of 11.088 in yesterday's flying 200m qualifying, breezed through the early rounds before easily accounting for team mate Stephanie Morton in the semi finals.

 

That set her up for a showdown with Sydney's Kaarle McCulloch, 23, wth whom she has partnered to win the team sprint world title for the past two years.

 

"It was always going to be tough against Kaarle and it's always been in the past but that's what makes it fun for me," said Meares, who claimed the crown for three straight years between 2004 and 2006 and won again in 2009. "Plus it's my first national title as a South Australian representative as well so that's very special."

 

In the first of the best of three heats McCulloch launched her sprint but was mowed down by Meares in the home straight. In the second heat the Olympic sprint silver medallist deployed some cat and mouse tactics slowing the heat to a standstill before launching and atatck that McCulloch was unable to counter.

 

"In the first heat, when Kaarle didn't pick the pace up enough to counter my jump, I was licking my lips with happiness when I saw that unfolding," said Meares. "That's why I opted for the standstill in the second one to see if I could have a bit of fortune in the second one."

 

Although the pair are good friends off the track, it is a different story on the boards.

"As much as I feel for her when I'm off the track, I can't feel that way when I'm on the track otherwise I'm going to be the one that's losing the races and the shoe's on the other foot," explained Meares. "I remember when I was coming up and I got beat every race, but that's the sort of thing that makes you a bit tougher in the long run.

"So, I'm hoping that I'm annoying Kaarle because by the time I retire she's going to be one hard girl to beat."

McCulloch, who claimed a clean sweep of the sprint medals last year in Meares' absence has this week already claimed the 500m time trial and, with NSW team mate Cass Kell, defeated Meares and Stephanie Morton in the team sprint. Whilst keen to get a win over her good friend and rival in head to head sprinting McCulloch was nonetheless happy with her performance.

"I executed two very good races today but she rode an 11 and I rode an 11.4 so to me the gas just wasn't there today," said McCulloch. "But today I implemented some really good strategies which are going to put me in a really good place for Worlds.

"I think I have got to the stage now that I am racing against the best rider in the world who is at the peak of her career, and I am five years away from my peak.

 

"I got beaten by half a wheel length in both the races today and a couple more years time, when I get a little bit more strength in my legs, I have no doubt that I could beat Anna, but at the moment, it is just not quite there."

Kell won the bronze medal in two straight heats over Morton.

 

Earlier in the session South Australia successfully retained the Southcott Cup defeating Queensland in the open men's 4km teams pursuit final.

 

Reigning teams pursuit world champions Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn faced off in opposing teams with Dennis joining Glenn O'Shea, Damian Howson and Alex Edmondson in the SA winning quartet that posted an impressive 4:02.389 to defeat the Queensland team of Hepburn, Jordan Kerby, Mitchell Mulhern and Nicholas Schultz ( 4:04.855).

Little separated the two teams after the first kilometre but the 'crow eaters' took the ascendancy in the second kilometre to lead by just over two seconds at the half way mark. From there the Queenslanders had no answer when their rivals brought it home with two consecutive sub one minute kilometres.


 


"We knew we had to lift, as Queensland was giving a bit of stick and smack talk today, but we were pretty confident bringing Alex (Edmondson) in who did a pretty good individual pursuit," said Dennis, 20. "Basically we just wanted to win the gold like last year, not give it up to the Queenslanders.



 

"We knew we had to go out faster and I bumped my gear up so I could do a little bit of extra work to help the guys across the line.

"It did add a little bit of extra pressure as I knew he'd be keen to win the jersey this year and I know his form has been very good," said Dennis of Hepburn. "I was a little bit worried before the heats about what type of turns he'd be pulling, but after qualifying I was pretty confident we could come away with the win tonight."

In his individual pursuit qualifying ride on Wednesday, Dennis recorded what is now the third fastest time in history with (4:13.299) only to see fellow world champion teammate Jack Bobridge go even faster around the Dunc Gray boards, clocking 4:10.534 and eclipsing by more than half a second (0.580) the 15 year old world record of 4:11.114 set by Great Britain's Chris Boardman at the 1996 World Championships in Manchester. 


 


"I don't like coming away from a championships without a gold medal," said Dennis. "It was a little bit of a bummer that he (Bobridge) broke my time five minutes after, but it was also great work and I was really happy for him. 

Althouth disappointed to not come away with the win, Hepburn, 19, praised his team mates.

"I am pretty disappointed, I will be honest, but when the other team does a 4:02 at a national championships, there is not much you can do," said Hepburn, who was also a gold medallist last year in the teams pursuit at the Commonwealth Games with Cameron Meyer, Jack Bobridge and Dale Parker. "My team mates rode exceptionally well today, particularly given a few are not teams pursuit specialists on the international scene. To come away with a time like that, they did a really good job."

The West Australian quartet of Luke Durbridge, Michael Freiberg, Stephen Hall and Glenn Harris claimed the bronze medal, in a time of 4:08.321, ahead of Victoria's under 19 team of Jack Cummings, Evan Hull, Alexander Morgan & Rick Sanders (4:11.175). The Victorian teenagers had already claimed the WJ "Bill" Young Trophy for the under 19 event when they broke both the All-comers and Australian Championship records with their 4:09.867 ride in the afternoon's open qualifying session.

Their time in the record books was short lived however as the New South Wales quartet of of Jack Beckinsale, Caleb Ewan, Jackson Law and Tirian McManus smashed that mark with a 4:06.454 to win silver in their ride off against West Australia's Mitchell Benson, Trent Derecourt, Nicholas Graham-Dawson and Bradley Linfield ( 4:13.696).

In the elite men's 15km scratch race, New South Wales' Scott Law, successfully defended his title with a perfectly timed final sprint to the line. The race boasted a strong field including West Australians Luke Durbridge and Michael Freiberg and South Australian Glenn O'Shea and the pace was furious from the gun.

 

A flurry of attacks were launched and failed testing the strength and stamina of the bunch and as the race headed into the final ten laps only six riders remained in contention. Four laps from home Durbridge launched a last ditch attack shattering the group but he was unable to get clear and 350m from home Law flew around him and rode away with the win.

"I am absolutely ecstatic and relieved to come away with the win as I was a little bit nervous going into the race given the strength of the field," said Law who won gold in the six round omnium that wrapped up on Monday. "I knew with the high tempo being set throughout the race, I kept a little in reserve in case it came down to the bunch kick.

"I was a little misplaced with three laps to go, so I used momentum to get around the bunch and then gave it a solid burst down the back straight," said Law who crossed well clear of second placed Stephen Hall of WA with O'Shea third.

 

In the under 19 sprint finals, Timothy McMillan (NSW) defeated Victorian Jaron Gardiner in two straight heats to win the gold. Gardiner's team mate Luke Parker was awarded the bronze medal after Canberra's Nathan Hart withdrew prior to their third and deciding heat suffering cramps.

 

Victoria's Adele Sylvester added the under 19 women's sprint title to her medal tally with a straight sets victory over West Australia's Allee Proud in the final.

"I am just having the best week of my life, I feel just amazing," said Sylvester who won silver in the team sprint at last year's Junior Track World Championships.

"I know that Allee is a really strong rider and she can hold the sprint for a long time, so I decided to go just that little bit earlier and just hoped, just put everything into it and hoped she wouldn't come around me."

In the night's opening finals Para-cycling tandem pair Felicity Johnson and pilot Stephanie Morton (SA) claimed gold in the kilometre time trial with a time of 1:09.909. Silver went to Kerry Knowler and pilot Brandie O'Connor (ACT) in 1:14.113 with Victoria Dilley and pilot Amanda O'Connor (WA) third in a time of 1:16.370.

 

In the men's tandem kilometre Bryce Lindores (QLD) teamed with Victorian pilot and 2006 Commonwealth Games champion, Sean Finning, to clock 1:06.325 and claim the win. Chris Pratley and pilot Thanh Tu (WA) clocked 1:14.617 to edge out team mates Joshua Clark and pilot Jeremy McClure (1:14.643) for the silver medal.

 

The 2011 Scody Cycling Australia Track National Championships will be held from Sunday January 30 to Sunday February 6 at Sydney’s Dunc Gray Velodrome.

 

A detailed event schedule, ticketing information, entry list and results can be found on the Cycling Australia website.