Sprint dynamo Anna Meares has topped off Australia's greatest medal haul at a track cycling world titles by collecting her third gold medal in the Netherlands.
Meares charged to victory in the keirin while Cameron Meyer and Leigh Howard outlasted their opponents in the 50km madison as Australia finished with eight gold, two silver and one bronze medal from the 19 events.
Cycling Central: Meyer, Howard defend Madison crown
In a positive sign before next year's London Games six of Australia's titles came in Olympic events.
Australia's previous best tally at a world titles was six gold, two silver and two bronze last year in Copenhagen.
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Meares powers to victory
Anna Meares stayed clear of the turmoil in the crash-marred final of the keirin to complete a clean sweep of titles in the sprint events at the world track cycling championships Sunday.
Olga Panarina made a late charge to finish second with Clara Sanchez of France taking the bronze.
Meares, 27, took a huge stride towards Olympic glory in London 2012 when she claimed her maiden world title in the blue riband of the sprint Friday, two days after defending the team sprint title with Kaarle McCulloch.
The women's keirin was the 19th and final event of the five-day championships and left Australia the runaway medal toppers with eight golds.
Meares had every right to feel one of the happiest of her team after a sensational campaign which has given her a huge boost 15 months out from the Olympic Games.
She arrived at the Omnisport Arena Sunday morning and was told by her coach Gary West she could "relax and have fun".
Yet Meares was seriousness personified as she went about winning her first and second rounds, eliminating Britain's Victoria Pendleton, a silver medal winner last year, for the second time this week.
Cuba's Lisandra Guerra provided drama in the late stages of the final when she slipped and crashed and threatened to bring some of the field down with her.
Meares, a former Olympic champion in the 500 metres time trial, stayed well out of danger by leading at the front throughout and holding off the threat of a late Panarina charge at the finish.
"I rocked up here this morning and my coach told me, 'win, lose or draw, just go out there and have some fun'," said Meares, who famously recovered from a broken neck in the run-up to Beijing in 2008 to secure a sprint silver.
"So I was relaxed, I had no pressure and I really was enjoying myself.
"I think the crash from Guerra shattered everyone up a little bit. Unfortunately with the keirin, crashes or no crashes the race has to go on."
Meares added: "I'm a great time trialler, so (I told myself) why not go to the front and see if they can get round me?"
Having completed the collection in the women's sprint events, Meares said she had achieved one of her life's goals.
"The success level is far beyond anything I've ever achieved. My career goal, since I was 16 years of age in the QIS (Queensland Institute of Sport) was to win a world title in every discipline," she added.
"I've done that. I've finished that dream today and I'm so excited about what the prospects can be in the next year or two."
Pendleton said after being ousted from the sprint she would return "with a vengeance" to challenge Meares in 2012, at the world championships and Olympic Games.
On Sunday the 30-year-old Englishwoman once again tried to put her mediocre championships into perspective.
"I'm definitely under par and she's in the form of her life. It's difficult to compare," said Pendleton.
"I'm still really positive about the Olympics and getting there in the best form and that is the most important thing.
"I'm excited about the Olympics and maybe I'm losing excitement about the Worlds."
