James holds off Chinese attack to earn Keirin gold medal

The 21-year-old from Abergavenny, sprint champion on day four, claimed her fourth medal from four events with a sensational triumph. She has a haul of two gold and two bronze medals from her third senior World Championships.

Britain finished the first World Championships on the road to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro with five gold medals.

The women’s team pursuit squad of Laura Trott, Dani King and Elinor Barker won gold, Jason Kenny won the men’s Keirin and Simon Yates the men’s points race to go with James’s double.

The Welshwoman is the undoubted star of the five-day event, which she capped with a memorable win.

She was drawn behind the motorised Derny bike, with Germany’s Kristina Vogel immediately on her wheel, and the Briton was forced to lead out as the pacing bike swung off the track with three laps to go.

Cuba’s Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez made the first move with two laps to go, but James held off the charge, and an attack from Gong Jinjie of China, to claim a stunning win.

“I just need someone to pinch me and tell me if it’s really happening to me,” James said.

“I feel like it’s a complete dream apart from the pain in my legs.”