PARIS, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Mathilde Gros stormed to her maiden world title after beating two German cyclists consecutively in the semifinals and final in the women's sprint at the 2022 UCI Track World Championship here on Friday.

It was also the first gold for the French team at the tournament, which is being held at the same velodrome for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games two years later.

"It's a dream. I gave it everything and the public was incredible," said Gros.

"Hearing 'Mathilde, Mathilde' ring out throughout the velodrome was magical."

The 23-year-old defeated two-time sprint world champion Emma Hinze in all three rounds in the semifinals to set up the showdown against another German and also multiple world title winner Lea Sophie Friedrich.

Supported by the local crowd, Gros won the first round and held off Friedrich in the second round to take the title.

In the men's individual pursuit, Italy's star cyclist Filippo Ganna set a new world record time on his way to a fifth gold in the discipline at the World Championship.

The 26-year-old won gold ahead of compatriot Jonathan Milan, to add to the titles he won in 2016 and from 2018 to 2020, after finishing third last year in Roubaix, France.

The Netherlands took two gold medals with veteran cyclist Yoeri Havik winning the points race and compatriot Jeffrey Hoogland successfully defending his 1km time-trial title.

Havik, 31, finished ahead of Germany's Roger Kluge and Belgian Fabio Van den Bossche over the 160 laps covering 40km, interspersed with 16 sprints.

Hoogland, 29, dominated France's Melvin Landerneau in the 1km time-trial final, an event he won in 2018 and 2021, with Spaniard Alejandro Martinez taking bronze. Enditem

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