James fastest in sprint qualification

Becky James qualified fastest in the women's sprint as she began her bid for a third medal of the Track Cycling World Championships in Minsk.

The 21-year-old from Abergavenny, who won team sprint and 500 metres time-trial bronze on the opening two days, clocked 10.957 seconds in the flying 200m.

She was the only rider to dip beneath 11 seconds, her first place giving her a personal best and a favourable seeding for the one-on-one match sprints to come.

Germany's Kristina Vogel was second-quickest in 11.057secs, with Hong Kong's Lee Wai Sze, winner of the 500m time-trial, third in 11.070. Vicky Williamson was 12th-quickest in 11.360. James, Vogel and Lee received a bye in the first round, where Williamson will meet Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez of Cuba, who qualified in 11.394.

In the absence of defending world champion and Olympic gold medal winner Sir Chris Hoy, who is taking a sabbatical as he weighs up his future, Britain were represented in the men's Keirin by Jason Kenny and Matt Crampton.

The pair were drawn in the same heat, with only two riders to progress at the first time of asking.

Both Kenny and Crampton were squeezed out of contention, though, falling into the first-round repechage as Tobias Wachter of Germany and Holland's Matthijs Buchli finished first and second. Kenny was third and Crampton fifth.

Guerra Rodriguez led out the final lap of the sprint with Williamson and the 19-year-old Briton, riding in her first senior World Championships, did not have enough speed to round her opponent and was eliminated. James will meet Guerra Rodriguez in the second round.

In the opening event of the men's omnium, the flying lap, Jon Dibben was 11th in 13.587.

Aaron Gate of New Zealand won the opening discipline in 13.109.