Also through to the next round is the keirin gold medallist Elis Ligtlee, of the Netherlands, who overcame Lithuania’s Simona Krupeckaite.
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The start list also features the gold and silver medallists from yesterday’s tightly fought keirin – Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands) and Rebecca James (Great Britain) – as well as the ever unsafe Kristina Vogel (Germany).
“I have had so much support from British Cycling, it has been a tough two years and I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help”.
Meares said before Rio that she is undecided about whether she will try to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, where she would be 36.
Meares won the bronze medal two days ago in the keirin, but was forced to ride two repechage events after falling to Sze Lee.
Nearing the end of a magical career?: Anna Meares celebrates on the podium at the medal ceremony for the women’s keirin.
“To think where I was a year ago from now to where I am now, I would never have imagined it”.
“I would say the response that I got from my team after the speech I gave at the Inspire session at the start”.
She followed the instruction of coach Jan van Eijden to go round high up the outside and powered round the final bend into the medal positions.
Meares has struggled with an ongoing back injury and also almost retired previous year after the breakup of her marriage.
She was last with one lap to go but found a way around the outside to force her way into second on the line to win Team GB’s fourth medal on the track.
Ligtlee is the first Dutchwoman to win a track gold since Marianne Vos won the points race in Beijing in 2008 and only the third ever.
Great Britain are also guaranteed another gold medal in the men’s sprint after Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner roared into the final.
Meanwhile, Australia’s teams keep crashing out of the Olympics, with women’s water polo and hockey both knocked out in quarter finals on Monday.
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She finished 10th, leading three rivals on the final turn only to be pipped at the finish by New Zealander Natasha Hansen.
