Meares Back on Top of the World

Anna Meares, Courtesy of Cycling Australia

Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallist, Anna Meares, will contest the first medal final at this week's UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Poland when she races the 500 metre time trial on Wednesday (local time).

Meares, whose inspirational recovery from a broken neck in January last year saw her claim a silver medal in the sprint at the Beijing Olympic Games, will line up in the event in which she holds the World Record but says there is less pressure on her this year. Meares took a break from training after the Olympic Games and has only been back on the bike since January.

"It's actually really exciting and I'm very much looking forward to a different focus," said Meares who will not race in the sprint, the event that was her sole focus in the lead up to Beijing. "In a big way there is less pressure because the point of taking a break was to deal with the big high and big low that comes with Olympic competition.

"To be chasing events that I wasn't chasing previously is refreshing."

Meares, at 25, is now classed as a veteran performer in a team roster where the average age is around 20.

"I think they (the team) look to me for direction"

"Yep I'm a bit of an old duck now," laughed Meares. "In seven years I've gone from being the baby of the team to the veteran and it's a very different feeling this year.

"I've been in teams where there were lots of older riders so their experiences and journeys were further along and their approach a lot calmer and more driven," she explained. "Now there is a different level of fun and excitement in a younger team."

There is no doubt the young riders look up to Meares as an example to follow.

"I think they look to me for direction but I am really a part of the team and I'm not up on a pedestal where they don't feel they can approach me."

Meares is happy the race schedule this week has been reworked to put her pet event at the start of the program.

"I think it's finally in the right order with the 500m time trial first off and then the, shall I say, less safe events after," said Meares whose crash last year came in the keirin event at the Los Angeles round of the World Cup Series. "I hope this order stays in place in future."

Meares is aiming for the Podium in the Team Sprint with Kaarle McCulloch

Meares says she has no expectations going into the 500m time trial but Thursday's team sprint, in which she will pair with Sydney's Kaarle McCulloch, 21, is a different story.

"We'd love to get on the podium in that one and for the rest it's a case of digging in, giving it my best and seeing what I get out of it," she said. "I'm lacking a bit of fitness but that's to be expected with only three months preparation and I haven't done specific time trial training apart from getting out of the gate and the initial acceleration.

"I don't think my last lap is as good as usual because I haven't had enough time to work on it."

But with Meares' first lap (250m) at a solid pace she will take the start position when the Australian women race the team sprint.

"I'm really excited about that because it's the first time I've ever been starter," said Meares. "It should work well because Kaarle has the speed to hang on to me in the first lap and she's got a good second lap as well."

Anna wants that Rainbow Jersey back

Also in action on day one will be West Australian Josephine Tomic who will contest the women's 3km individual pursuit. The trio of Dan Ellis, Shane Perkins and Scott Sunderland race in the men's team sprint and Cameron Meyer, who was fourth in the event at the Olympic Games last year, will line up in the points race.

'Toshiba Cyclones' - 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships being staged in Pruszkow, Poland from 25 to 29 March 2009

Ashlee Ankudinoff (Menai NSW, 20.08.1990)
Jack Bobridge (Evaston Gardens SA, 13.07.1989)
Rohan Dennis (Vale Park SA, 28.05.1990)
Dan Ellils (Ngunnawal, ACT 07.10.1988)
Belinda Goss (Nook, TAS, 06.01.1984)
Leigh Howard (Waurn Ponds, VIC 18.10.1989)
Sarah Kent (Duncraig WA, 10.02.1990)
Anna Meares (Gracemere, QLD 21.09.1983)
Kaarle McCulloch (Gymea Bay, NSW 20.01.1988)
Cameron Meyer (Helena Valley WA, 11.01.1988)
Travis Meyer (Helena Valley WA 08.06.1989)
Jason Niblett (Horsham, VIC 18.02.1983)
Shane Perkins (Hughesdale VIC, 30.12.1986)
Scott Sunderland (Hillarys, WA 16.03.1988)
Josephine Tomic (Perth WA, 09.06.1989)

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