Australia sprint king Matthew Glaetzer will use his world championship silver medal as motivation as he chases Rio revenge on Great Britain's Jason Kenny at the Olympic Games.
The 23-year-old rattled his biggest threat for Olympic gold in Sunday's sprint final at the track cycling world championships in London, but was ultimately shot down by the crafty Brit in an enthralling match-up.
"It's a big achievement. It's my first senior individual world championship medal," Glaetzer said.
"I'm really happy to make the finals and then I was stoked to make the gold ride-off.
"Racing against Jason was really just almost a practice for Rio, really.
"It will be a bit of a revenge sort of situation if I do race him again.
"It's good to have that sort of rivalry and history of racing each other in the past, knowing there's a good possibility we're going to face each other again in the near future."
While exceeding expectations by securing the silver medal, Glaetzer admitted getting so close to gold would provided help motivate him through the next five months before the Rio Games.
"It's definitely not as nice as a gold," he said.
"That's added motivation to do everything I can in training and back home in Adelaide. It's a great step, having this (maiden) individual medal.
"But it just spurs me on to get one better.
"... There's about six or eight guys who can take the Olympic gold medal.
"It's anyone's game and it's up to you to make sure you step up onto the line in Rio knowing you've done absolutely everything in your power to be ready, and that's what I plan to do."
Glaetzer, who set the fastest flying 200m lap with a sizzling 9.766 second ride, said he exceeded expectations by marching into the final via crushing wins over France's four-time world champion Gregory Bauge and Russian Denis Dmitriev.
And the world's top-ranked sprinter silenced the raucous home crowd with the narrowest of wins in the first heat of the final - taking the photo finish from Kenny by two milliseconds.
"I was a bit surprised I got the first (heat) it was that close," Glaetzer said.
"Jason, you cannot underestimate him. He's always going to come back stronger each race.
"He races just as fast as he qualifies. He's such a class act, a multiple Olympic champion.
"To be close to that calibre of sprinter is really encouraging."
The hometown hero fought back to force a decider, and wouldn't be denied, coming from the outside and reeling the Australian in on the final stretch before taking it on the line.
Glaetzer's silver medal, along with the bronze won by Glenn O'Shea in the omnium, takes Australia's medal tally to two gold, two silver and one bronze.
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