• Track World Championships

Hoy powers to world gold in men's keirin

Sir Chris Hoy tasted gold in Melbourne © PA Photos

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Sir Chris Hoy responded to Saturday's disappointment in the sprint by taking gold in the men's keirin at the Track World Championships on Sunday.

Hoy, the four-time Olympic champion, was bettered by compatriot Jason Kenny in the semi-finals of Saturday's sprint competition, meaning he is unlikely to get to defend his Olympic title in that event at London 2012.

However, he reacted in the best possible fashion to that setback by claiming the world keirin title for a fourth time, adding to successes in 2007, 2008 and 2010. The Scot qualified easily for the final, where he needed a photo-finish before he could celebrate victory over Germany's Maximilian Levy.

Such a tactical race, Hoy appeared to be boxed in as he hit the final bend, but he found a gap between Levy and Simon van Velthooven of New Zealand to steal it on the line. Fellow Brit Kenny eventually took bronze after officials relegated Van Velthooven from third place for an infringement.

"I knew that they were fanning out and the three of them (Levy, Van Velthooven and Kenny) were going to go three abreast on the last corner and there was a chance of a little flick here," Hoy explained.

"And as soon as the flick came from the Kiwi (Van Velthooven) I went up the inside and the door opened. I was thinking 'I've got a chance of getting silver here' - I just kept driving. Levy seemed to tie up in the last few metres and I threw the bike and couldn't believe I'd won it."

Hoy's success chalked up Britain's sixth gold of the week, and 13th medal in total, although only five of those golds came in events that will be raced in the summer Olympic Games.

Elsewhere, Olympic silver medallist Wendy Houvenaghel could only manage silver again in the women's individual pursuit. The 37-year-old qualified second fastest in the non-Olympic event, but New Zealand's Alison Shanks simply had too much in the final.

A time of three minutes 30.199 seconds was enough for Shanks, who finished comfortably ahead of Houvenaghel's time of 3:32.340s. Ashlee Ankudinoff of Australia took bronze.

And in the women's 500m time-trial, Jess Varnish took bronze with a time of 33.999s. Anna Meares, the arch rival of Victoria Pendleton in the sprint, won her second gold medal in as many days when clocking a world record 33.010s.

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