Pendleton sets new Olympic record to qualify ahead of Meares

Victoria Pendleton, London 2012 Olympic Games, track cycling day two

Victoria Pendleton struck the first blow in the women's sprint competition, setting a new Olympic record in the flying 200m of 10.724 seconds.

The personal best put her at the top of the rankings, eight hundredths of a second faster than her main rival for gold, Anna Meares of Australia. Shuang Guo of China, who is on fine form here in London, was third, a quarter of a second slower than Pendleton.

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Simon Richardson