James run continues

Becky James will ride for gold in the women's sprint at the Track Cycling World Championships in Minsk.

The 21-year-old from Abergavenny is now guaranteed her third medal of the World Championships from three events after a 2-0 semi-final defeat of Guo Shuang of China.

In the first bout, James led out the sprint and held off Guo by nearly a bike length and in the second she ducked down underneath the Chinese rider before outpacing her to the line.

Kristina Vogel stands in the way of the gold medal which six-time champion Victoria Pendleton won in 2012.

The German, Olympic champion in the team sprint, beat Hong Kong's Lee Wai Sze 2-0 in the second semi-final.

Lee and Guo will contest the battle for bronze.

The first World Championships on the road to the 2016 Olympics are taking place without the now retired Pendleton and Australia's Anna Meares, the Olympic champion, who is taking a sabbatical.

James is Britain's heir apparent to Pendleton, who won world her first world sprint title in 2005, aged 24. She added victories in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Three times Pendleton won three medals at World Championships, most recently in 2009, but never did she win four.

After Saturday night's sprint final, James, who won team sprint and 500metres time-trial bronze medals in the opening two days, will go for a fourth on Sunday in the Keirin.