Commonwealth Games 2010: Cycling gold rush for Aussies

James wins cycling bronze for Wales

Australia made a clean sweep of the three cycling golds up for grabs on the first day of action in the velodrome.

Scott Sunderland set a Games record of one minute 01.411 seconds to win the 1km time trial by more than one second.

Jack Bobridge took gold in the 4,000m individual pursuit while Anna Meares defended her 500m time trial title in a new Games record of 33.758 seconds.

Meares's team-mate Kaarle McCulloch picked up silver with Welsh youngster Becky James winning the bronze.

The 18-year-old from Abergavenny completed the two-lap race in 35.236 seconds to win her country's first medal in the event.

"I can't explain how happy I am right now," she told BBC Sport. "A bronze in my first Commonwealth Games is unbelievable. I visualised the whole race before and counted down in my head what I wanted to do. I came clean out from the gate and went on from there.

"The Aussie girls are always so strong and to be honest I didn't expect to beat them but to come and get a bronze medal here I can't even put it into words - I'm so happy."

In the men's 1km time trial, Sunderland lowered the previous Games best set by Scotland's Chris Hoy in Manchester eight years ago as he blew away the field with the final ride of the competition.

He eclipsed the 1:02.678 set by Malaysia's Mohamad Rizal Tisin who won his country's first Commonwealth cycling medal. New Zealand's Edward Dawkins collected the bronze.

Meares delighted with record time trial gold

Meares also blitzed the rest of the field to retain the 500m time trial title she won in Melbourne four years ago. Second-placed McCulloch was more than one second down.

Bobridge completed a hat-trick of Australian golds after setting a new Games record of 4:14.845 seconds in qualifying for the final of the 4,000m individual pursuit.

He led from start to finish in the final against New Zealand's Jesse Sergent although his time was almost three seconds down on his new best.

Australia's Michael Hepburn won the ride-off for bronze.