MELBOURNE, 30 May 2004 — Svetlana Grankovskaya and Olga Slyusareva retained their titles at the track cycling world championships yesterday to complete a golden double for Russia.
Grankovskaya won the women’s sprint for the third time in four years while Slyusareva won the women’s points race for the fourth successive time.
Australia also captured their first gold medal of the championships with victory in the men’s team pursuit for the third year running.
Britain finished second in the team pursuit to grab their fifth medal of the championships.
With one day to go in the championships, France lead the table with three golds while second-placed Britain have two.
Grankovskaya went into the women’s sprint final as the overwhelming favorite but needed to call on her vast experience to beat Australian Anna Meares, whose older sister Kerrie won a silver medal in the same event two years ago.
Grankovskaya won the first heat of the best-of-three final but Meares won the second and briefly threatened to steal the decider until the Russian drew away in the last few meters to win. Lori-Ann Muenzer won the bronze to give Canada their first medal.
“I had nothing to lose tonight so I’m a gratified loser,” Meares said.
“I think I was beaten by a better ride but I believe in my ability and in what I can do. I am feeling confident for the Olympic Games.”
