{"id":24595,"date":"2015-02-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/uncategorized\/dream-of-eleventh-title-comes-true-for-anna-meares\/"},"modified":"2015-02-22T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-02-22T00:00:00","slug":"dream-of-eleventh-title-comes-true-for-anna-meares","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/sport\/dream-of-eleventh-title-comes-true-for-anna-meares\/","title":{"rendered":"Dream of 11th title comes true for Meares"},"content":{"rendered":"
Image | Twitter<\/h6>\n

By Julian Drape, PARIS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Australian sprint queen Anna Meares dreamt she’d become the most prolific women’s track cycling world champion in history in France even before Paris was named host city of the 2015 event.<\/h3>\n

So it appears dreams do come true.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old Australian won an historic 11th rainbow jersey in the keirin at France’s new national velodrome on Sunday (Monday morning AEDT).<\/p>\n

Dutch rider Shanne Braspennincx took the silver and Cuba’s Lisandra Guerra was third.<\/p>\n

Meares entered the world championships with 10 titles – the same number as France’s Felicia Ballanger who won the sprint and 500m time trial at five consecutive world championships from 1995.<\/p>\n

But now the Australian legend stands alone atop the individual medal table.<\/p>\n

\"Anna<\/p>\n

Image | Twitter<\/h6>\n

Meares wept on the podium and later explained they weren’t tears of joy, or relief, but “almost disbelief”.<\/p>\n

“I had a dream before the Paris worlds were announced that the world titles were in France, that I won my 11th world title, and that I got to meet Felicia Ballanger,” Meares told AAP.<\/p>\n

“Two of those have happened. I haven’t yet met the great woman but there’s still time.”<\/p>\n

The Queensland-born Meares met Ballanger a short time later in the centre of the velodrome and gave her hero a hug.<\/p>\n

France’s former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, also stopped by to congratulate Meares on breaking the record.<\/p>\n

In her dream the Australian won her 11th title in her pet event, the 500m time trial, but on Sunday said “I’ll take it however it comes”.<\/p>\n

The reigning Olympic sprint champion claimed bronze in the team sprint on Wednesday and silver in the time trial on Thursday.<\/p>\n

After missing gold in her pet event she thought she had “no chance” of breaking the record.<\/p>\n

“I really thought my best shot was in the time trial,” Meares admitted.<\/p>\n

“I felt really disappointed after the sprint (on Friday where she failed to make the quarter-finals) and today whatever happened, happened.<\/p>\n

“Maybe I should do that from now on.”<\/p>\n

\"Anna<\/p>\n

Image | Twitter<\/h6>\n

Asked where Sunday’s win ranked among all her victories she declared: “Today, number one.”<\/p>\n

Meares has said all week she wasn’t thinking about the record but after winning the keirin admitted it had been a burden ever since she decided to continue post-London Olympics.<\/p>\n

“No matter what I did I couldn’t avoid the possibility of that potential event happening.<\/p>\n

“Because of that – and people wanting that for me – it was a constant, and as much as I tried to put it aside it was always at the peripheral.”<\/p>\n

Fellow Australian Stephanie Morton should have been in the keirin final with Meares but got a puncture on the first lap.<\/p>\n

Under the rules of the race Morton wasn’t allowed to line up in the restart that followed. She appeared close to tears as she left the track.<\/p>\n

Meares said she felt terrible for Morton.<\/p>\n

“I’ve never seen that before and she’s in such good form,” the winner said.<\/p>\n

“For us to go one-two in our semi-final and for her to miss the opportunity to race in the final … I’m so sorry for her.”<\/p>\n

Coach Gary West said Morton was “gutted” but at 24 would have more opportunities.<\/p>\n

On the other hand he was absolutely thrilled for Meares.<\/p>\n

“She was persistence personified through the highs and lows this week,” he told AAP.<\/p>\n

Meares has now won 26 world championships medals including 11 gold, eight silver and six bronze.<\/p>\n

The sprint sensation also has two Olympic titles.<\/p>\n

She won the 500m time trial in Athens in 2004 and the sprint against arch rival Victoria Pendleton at London 2012.<\/p>\n

ANNA MEARES’ WORLD AND OLYMPIC TITLES<\/p>\n

11 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD MEDALS<\/p>\n

2004 Melbourne, Australia<\/p>\n

* 500m time trial<\/p>\n

2007 Palma de Mallorca, Spain<\/p>\n

* 500m time trial<\/p>\n

2009 Pruszk\u00f3w, Poland<\/p>\n

* Team sprint (with Kaarle McCulloch)<\/p>\n

2010 Ballerup, Denmark<\/p>\n

* 500m time trial<\/p>\n

* Team sprint (with Kaarle McCulloch)<\/p>\n

2011 Apeldoorn, Netherlands<\/p>\n

* Team sprint (with Kaarle McCulloch)<\/p>\n

* Sprint<\/p>\n

* Keirin<\/p>\n

2012 Melbourne, Australian<\/p>\n

* 500m time trial<\/p>\n

* Keirin<\/p>\n

2015 Paris, France<\/p>\n

* Keirin<\/p>\n

2 OLYMPIC GAMES GOLD MEDALS<\/p>\n

2004 Athens, Greece<\/p>\n

* 500m time trial<\/p>\n

2012 London, United Kingdom<\/p>\n

*Sprint<\/p>\n

Source: Cycling Australia<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO: CARO MEETS WITH CROWS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

SEE ALSO: HUNT CAREER IN AFTER COCAINE CHARGES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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