TRCK CYCLING: Adelaide's Matthew Glaetzer launched himself onto his maiden World Championship sprint podium, claiming silver in the men’s sprint on Saturday in London.

The fastest qualifier in yesterday’s session, the twenty-three-year-old South Australian and reigning Olympic champion Jason Kenny (GBR) contested an epic three straight battle on the London Velodrome.

“To be close to that calibre of sprinter is really encouraging. I actually feel pretty pleased with that, it's a big achievement,” said Glaetzer whose previous best performance was fourth in 2014

Glaetzer has to quickly turn his attentions to Sunday’s keirin final, but is already looking towards improving on his sprint silver here at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August.

“It (silver) definitely not as nice as a gold, but that's added motivation to do everything I can in training and back home in Adelaide,” he said. “It's a great step, having this debut individual medal. But it just spurs me on to get one better.

Men's Omnium

In an heroic effort in the dying stages of the sixth and final event of the omnium - the men's points race - 2012 world champion Glenn O'Shea took bronze in a thrilling end to the competition.

O'Shea was part of a trio of riders who courageously took a lap inside the final ten laps of the points race to set up a three way tie for the gold medal, sending the omnium medal decision down to the final sprint. However spent from the efforts to draw level, O'Shea was unable to contest the final sprint and settled for bronze.

"That was close, wasn't it?," remarked O'Shea. "Two days of racing and (you finish with) three guys on the same points and Viviani only two points behind us. You don't get any closer."

"I don't think I've ever been in a race that close before. It was exciting for me to be in it, I enjoyed it."

Women's Sprint

Australia now boasts the fastest two sprinters in the world, with Stephanie Morton (SA) qualifying fastest in the women's competitionreplicating that of Matthew Glaetzer (SA) in the men's on Thursday.

Morton, the reigning Commonwealth sprint champion, began her campaign with a blistering 10.760secs ride in Saturday morning's qualifying session.

This was two hundredths of a second ahead of Tianshi Zhong (10.779).

In an unfortunate match-up for Australia, Morton and Meares will now meet in the quarter-finals which began on Sunday morning from 10am London local time.

The pair last met at the Track National Championships in Adelaide, where Meares took gold. With Morton famously edging Meares in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games title in 2014.

CYCLING AUSTRALIA