Australia’s Anna Meares earned Australia a gold medal Tuesday by beating Britain’s Victoria Pendleton in the women’s track cycling sprint. Pendleton, 31, was the defending Olympic champion.
The 28-year-old Australian won the first two of the best-of-three 750-meter races—the first because her opponent was relegated to last for blocking, and the second on pure speed.
In the first heat Pendleton crossed the line .0001 ahead, but a review clearly showed her switching lanes and impeding Meares. In the second heat Mearres won before the sprinting started—she rode to the top of the 42-degree banking and stopped there, balancing on two wheels, until Pendleton had to ride or fall.
With Pendleton in the lead, Meares let the British rider wear herself out fighting air resistance before the Aussie pulled out and passed. Pendleton didn’t have the speed, and Meares won by a few lengths.
China’s Shang Guo beat Germany’s Kristina Vogel for the bronze.
