Sprint cycling gold medallist Anna Meares is eyeing the possibility of trying to win two more Olympic events, so she can emulate her feat of taking world titles in four different categories.
Australia’s popular queen of the velodrome was surrounded by many adoring fans on Wednesday after returning from London.
She got a kiss from Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who was among many admirers seeking a moment with the lady whose sprint final win over British arch rival Victoria Pendleton represented one of Australia’s biggest highlights in London.
Already a triple Olympian 28-year-old Meares will take time off before confirming her commitment to a fourth campaign.
“I just want to make sure that’s really what I want, because the dedication required is enormous and I would be asking again a lot from many many people around me to make it happen,” Meares said.
White she rated beating Pendleton as a pretty big highlight Meares stressed her appetite for success had not been sated by such a satisfying win.
“Success for me I don’t see it as a limiting factor, I see it as the potential to be even better,” Meares said.
“I’ve not been Olympic champion in the keirin and in the team sprint, perhaps that’s something that I could really look to try and do in in Rio.
“I’ve been world champion across all four events, but I’d like to be Olympic champion across all four events.”
Meares had mixed feelings about Australia’s track efforts in London where they were overshadowed by an almost all-conquering Great Britain.
“As a whole we were certainly more successful than we were in Beijing, (where) we only won only one silver medal, which was mine, across all four cycling disciplines,” Meares said.
“This time on the track we won five medals, so that was definitely an improvement.
“We were very frustrated by the successful performances of the British team.
“In the last three or four years we’ve been extremely competitive and often on top in the medal tally at the world championships.
“Then to be almost as non-competitive as we were was very very frustrating, so there’s something that they are doing that we’re not.
“Whether it’s in their training, their preparation, in their taper phase, they are going to be the questions that we are going to ask where we can find more.
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