CYCLING: It was a masterclass of sprinting from Anna Meares as she dazzled a packed Adelaide Super-Drome on route to a third straight sprint title at the 2016 Track National Championships.

In one of the toughest roads faced in a National Championships, the reigning Olympic champion showed her class in a thrilling final against fellow South Australian and 2013 national champion Stephanie Morton.

It was a ninth sprint crown for the hometown favourite, and the 35th national title of her glittering career.

Meares prevailed through a challenging semi-final against former national champion Kaarle McCulloch - who went on to take the bronze medal - before using all her experience to hold off Morton in two close heats and claim the green and gold jersey.

In the first heat, Meares used every inch of the track and gave the huge crowd a close up look at the battle as she pushed Morton to the edge of the barrier. Elbow to elbow, the pair charged to the line where a late throw to the line by Meares fended off Morton.

In the second heat, Meares controlled the heat from start to finish, with Meares taking the win with a stirring drive to the line.

Post race, Meares admitted it could be one of her best ever performances at a National Championships.

“I think all things considered I was very, very proud of that ride,” said the 32-year-old. “This one was a hard fought one, very hard fought. I’ve been nursing a quad strain since Friday last week and qualifying didn’t go so well yesterday.

“I drew a really high seeding with Kaarle and I just wanted to get through the semi. I feel like I rode really well and gave myself some confidence and I just wanted to lay some hard races on the line for Steph because I know she’s been in good form.

“She’s going better and better and better and I’ve really got to work hard to stay on top.”

With the World Championships looming in four weeks, and the Meares’ defence of her Olympic crown only six months away, Meares is fully aware of the pressure she faces from the quality of Morton and McCulloch.

“That’s real pressure,” revealed Meares. “With all due respect to all the women in the field there are three very, very strong contenders in myself, Steph and Kaarle.

“Each time you get on the track you need to put your best performance forward. I don’t think I’ve had the pressure of this depth for a very, very long time.

“This is probably the deepest we’ve gone in the women’s sprinting ranks. In one way I feel really proud of it and in another way it’s checking me.”

It was a gallant performance from fastest qualifier Morton, who paired with Meares to win the team sprint on the opening day of competition.

"They were really hard races and I was happy with qualifying yesterday but once you get to the sprint rounds it all goes out the window and comes down to racing. Anna rode two really strong races," Morton said.

"I did the best that I could with the form I had today but she's a classy rider and got over the top of me.

“When I go out I still want to win no matter what's going on and Anna rode really strong and hats off to her."

For all three riders the hard work has only just begun and Meares is not taking anything for granted despite adding yet another title to her resume.

“I’m trying to focus on myself and what I can do and how I can improve. But it’s hard,” she said.

“A lot of people think that because I’ve done it so many times before it’s expected and it’s easy. But it continues to be very, very difficult and I have to challenge myself all the time.”

South Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer secured a hat trick of sprint national titles with a sizzling sprint victory on day three of Cycling Australia’s Track National Championships in Adelaide.

Glaetzer is currently the world’s number one ranked sprinter and he made it quite clear why he sits on top of the world, producing two stunning performances in his final to edge past Victorian Jacob Schmid to claim gold.

“Three in a row was something I was aiming for coming into this week, I knew it was always going to be hard seeing I’ve been in pretty heavy training mode but I was happy with my qualifying time so that really set me up,” said Glaetzer, who with the win became the first man since Sean Eadie in 2002-03-04 to complete the feat.

In the final, Glaetzer allowed Schmid a head start in the first heat before powering around the final bend to take the lead and to go one up.

In almost a carbon copy in the second heat, Schmid took it to the hometown favourite with Glaetzer forced to used every inch of the track as he lunged at the line to win in a photo finish.

“In the first heat, I knew Jacob had gone to three (in the semi-final vs. Patrick Constable) to reach the final, so I just tried to take him long and tire him out,” detailed 23-year-old Glaetzer.

“It felt good closing down that gap, but he pushed me to the limit that’s for sure.”

In a repeat match up of last year’s semi finals, Schmid was bettered by Glaetzer before finishing fourth overall. However a silver medal in 2016 is encouraging progress for the 22-year-old.

Glaetzer’s third consecutive national sprint title was the headline of the night from the men’s category, though, and he remains very much in Olympic mode.

“Every race this year, and this week, I’ve been in the mindset of this could be an Olympic race,” said Glaetzer who will bypass Saturday’s keirin final in preparations for the upcoming World Championships in London in March.

“I’ve been putting the pressure and expectation on myself to then try and simulate the pressure of an Olympic Games.

“Throughout this week I’ve been putting more pressure on myself than I do normally. I’ve been putting myself out of my comfort zone to really push myself and execute in a pressure final.”

Glaetzer has built up quite the track record having being included in each World Championships squad since he was age-eligible in 2011, to hi first Olympics in London 2012, before a gold medal Glasgow Commonwealth Games campaign in 2014.

“Olympic Games experience is a huge advantage,” said Glaetzer, who is getting close to his second games nomination.

“An athlete has no idea what it’s going to be like until they get there. I know what to expect second time around, so it’ll hopefully be more of a comfortable environment for me.”

In the enthralling duel for the bronze medal, Olympic bronze medallist and two-time national champion Shane Perkins (VIC) found the podium after a strong two-heat victory over another rising Australian star in Patrick Constable (SA) - who earlier in the night forced Jacob Schmid to a third race, the only semi-final across the men’s and women’s draw to go the full distance.

Cycling Australia