Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 8:09 PM

Australian cyclist Anna Meares will race for the gold medal in the women's sprint at the Beijing Olympics.

China's Guo Shuang beat Meares 2-1 in their three-race semi-final but was relegated after officials reviewed their physical third race.

After Meares had evened the ledger, Guo crashed in the third leg, forcing the decider to be re-run.

Guo went on the win the third race, however she was later disqualified after a jury decision ruled she had entered the sprinters' lane while Meares was already there.

Meares will meet Great Britain's Victoria Pendleton in the final.

Pendleton, a three-time world champion in track cycling's blue riband event, coasted past Dutchwoman Willy Kanis over two legs of their semi-final.

Kanis will now meet Guo in the bronze medal match.

Meares, the reigning Olympic 500 metres champion, has saved Australia's blushes somewhat in Beijing.

Her feat means Australia - who has yet to win a medal from the seven finals so far - will avoid equalling an unwanted national record.

The last time Australia went home without a track cycling medal from the Games was at Moscow in 1980.

The Aussies were the kings of the velodrome in 2004, but since then have been playing catch-up to the dominant British team.

Australia finished just off the podium several times during the five-day competition, in which Britain has so far won five gold for a total of nine medals.

To rub salt into the wounds, Britain is set to win more gold on the final day.

They have two riders, Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, in the gold medal match for the men's sprint gold, while Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish of Britain also went into the men's Madison as the world champions and gold medal favourites.

Meares' feat in making the Olympic final comes only seven months after she returned home from a World Cup race in a wheelchair following a crash which almost left her permanently paralysed.

As well as winning sprint bronze in Athens, she is also the champion in the now defunct Olympic event of the 500 metre time trial.