ST QUENTIN EN YVELINES: A ustralian Anna Meares became the most successful woman ever at the track cycling world championships, while hosts France topped the medals table a year before the Olympic Games on Sunday.
Meares won the keirin to clinch her 11th world title, beating the previous record of 10 she shared with Frenchwoman Felicia Ballanger.
Meares, who also took silver in the 500-metre time trial and bronze in the team sprint, took her tally to 26 world medals to surpass the total of Briton Chris Hoy (25).
The most successful track rider at the world championships remains France's Arnaud Tournant with 14 gold medals.
Australia finished the championships with four gold medals, one behind France. Francois Pervis (one-kilometre time trial, keirin), Bryan Coquard and Morgan Kneisky (Madison) and Gregory Bauge claimed titles for the hosts.
"It's a big big performance, we did not expect that," said Bauge, who wrapped up France's golden campaign in style on Sunday by defeating Russian Denis Dmitriev 2-0 in the men's sprint final to add to his sprint team title.
France's Quentin Lafargue took the bronze.
"It's the perfect launching pad for the Games," added Bauge.
Britain failed to win a single gold for the first time since 2001 after the country's last title contender, Laura Trott, had to settle for silver in the omnium.
Trott, one of the faces of the 2012 London Olympics when she won the team pursuit and the omnium, finished behind Australian Annette Edmondson after the six events of the omnium -- flying lap, elimination race, individual pursuit, scratch race, time trial, points race.
It was Edmondson's second title here after she claimed the team pursuit with Australia.
Kirsten Wild of the Netherlands took the bronze.
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