5 Apr 2012

Meares breaks world cycling record

6:45 pm on 5 April 2012

Australian rider Anna Meares has smashed the world flying 200 metres record on day two of the track cycling world championships in Melbourne.

Meares clocked 10.782 seconds at Hisense Arena, easily breaking the old mark of 10.793 seconds.

The flying 200 is the qualifying for the women's sprint.

Lithuanian Simona Krupeckaite set the previous record in Moscow two years ago.

It is the third world record to fall so far at the world titles, after Great Britain broke the men's 4000 team pursuit mark and Germany twice set fresh marks for the women's team sprint.

New Zealand's Natasha Hansen qualified 13th but was narrowly edged by Cuban rider Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez.

However it's a personal best and should see Hansen qualify for the London Olympics.