Sir Chris Hoy won a sensational keirin gold on the final day of the Track Cycling World Championships.
Five medals in total for Team GB on final day
Sir Chris Hoy sent out an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of the London Olympic Games with an astonishing keirin victory on the final day of the Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne.
There was an audible gasp from onlookers at the Hisense Arena as Hoy won his fourth world keirin gold with a manoeuvre which astounded and demonstrated nothing can be ruled out as far as the four-time Olympic champion is concerned.
Hoy, the 2007, 2008 and 2010 world champion and Olympic champion in Beijing in the event which begins behind a motorised Derny bike, appeared to be boxed in on the final bend, but accelerated as a gap opened up between Germany's Maximilian Levy and Simon van Velthooven of New Zealand before lunging for the line.
Hoy, accustomed to leading from the front, punched the air with delight, but an 11th World Championships gold medal of his distinguished career was confirmed only after a photo finish.
Levy was second an, after the officials relegated Van Velthooven from third place for an infringement, Jason Kenny claimed bronze.
Breathtaking display
Hoy, who is in a selection battle with Kenny for the one sprint place in London, said: "How did I do that? With half a lap to go it was looking pretty bleak.
"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.
"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."
It was Britain's sixth gold - five coming from the 10 events on August's Olympic track programme.
In all, Britain won six gold, four silver and three bronze medals from 19 events over the five-days of competition, with five coming on the final day.
Medal haul
Added to Hoy and Kenny's keirin medals, there were three others in non-Olympic events - silvers for Wendy Houvenaghel in the individual pursuit and Ben Swift and Geraint Thomas in the Madison, plus a bronze for Jess Varnish in the 500 metres time-trial.
The haul of 13 was a total second only to hosts Australia, who won three of the 10 Olympic events.
Hoy responded from losing the sprint semi-final to Kenny on the penultimate day, when he claimed bronze, with a stunning showing in his favourite event.
"It's great to bounce back," the 36-year-old from Edinburgh added.
"You're never 100% sure you can win, but I had belief I've got good form.
"I showed glimpses of it yesterday. I was frustrated, knowing I should have performed better. I hoped today I could make amends."
While the keirin selection now seems sewn up, doubt remains over whether Hoy will be given the opportunity to defend the sprint crown he won in Beijing, when Kenny finished with silver.
"We're just going to wait and see and whatever the selection panel choose we'll go with," Hoy said.
"Whether I get it or Jason gets it, we'll have a good guy in the sprint."
It is possible this week's competition might be Hoy's 16th and last World Championships - but his focus is now firmly on London.
"I'll use this as a slight kick up the backside and we're going to go into London all guns blazing," said Hoy, who insists retirement is not on his mind.
"There's this massive goal on the horizon. It's not that you don't plan beyond that - all I know is after London I'm going to have a break for a couple of months."
Consolation prize
Kenny followed up his runner-up spot in the sprint - when France's Gregory Bauge won a third world title - with a belated bronze in the keirin.
The 24-year-old from Bolton felt the wrath of the officials on day one, as part of the British team sprint trio which suffered a relegation for a changeover offence, and against Bauge and was pleased to benefit after being impeded by Van Velthooven.
"It's nice to get a decision to go my way for once," Kenny said.
"I'm really pleased with the bronze. Chris diving in on the inside, saw the opportunity and just went for it. He came out of nowhere as far as I was concerned."
Final flourish
Britain won three other medals on the final day to round off a memorable week.
Houvenaghel again had to settle for three-kilometre individual pursuit silver.
The 37-year-old from Northern Ireland qualified second fastest and was unable to overhaul New Zealand's Alison Shanks in the final.
Shanks took gold in three minutes 30.199 seconds, while Houvenaghel finished in 3mins 32.340secs. Ashlee Ankudinoff of Australia claimed bronze.
Houvenaghel was Olympic silver medallist behind Rebecca Romero in the event in 2008, before finishing second to Shanks at the 2009 World Championships and 2010 Commonwealth Games.
In the women's 500m time-trial, Varnish claimed bronze as Australia's Anna Meares won her second gold medal in two days.
Meares triumphed in a world record of 33.010secs, with Germany's Miriam Welte (33.626) second and Varnish (33.999) third. Dani King (36.153) was 23rd.
In the competition's final event, Thomas and Swift won silver in the non-Olympic Madison.
The British pair finished on 18 points, six adrift of gold medal winners Belgium, with Australia third on 11 points.
