Russian speedster Daria Shmeleva set a new world record on the third day of competition at the European U23 and Junior Track Cycling Championships in Portugal today.
Shmeleva, who will be part of a powerful 16-strong Russian squad at next month's UCI Juniors Track World Championships in Invercargill, New Zealand, shaved five one-thousandths of a second of the world mark in the Under-19 Women's 500 metre Time Trial.
In doing so she eclipsed the time set by compatriot and multiple world champion Anastaiya Voynova at the 2011 World Championships in Moscow in August last year.
Shmeleva took the gold medal and world record with a time of 34.763, winning by almost a full second from Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands) 35.723 with team mate and fellow 2012 Junior Worlds squad-member Lidia Pluzhnikova claiming bronze with 36.494.
Russia's emergence as a track cycling power was never more noticable than at the Moscow Junior World Championships eleven months ago, when the hosts took home four golds, four silvers and two bronzes.
Although they will be a long way from home in August this year, they will contribute one of the largest overall squads with 14 officials set to join the 16 riders in New Zealand as they look to prove 2011 was no one-off.