New record for Bellutti

Cycling

Bradford's Yvonne McGregor qualified for the quarter-finals of the Women's World Pursuit Championship after a record- breaking opening round at Manchester yesterday. The 3,000 metres world record was broken three times. The Olympic champion, Antonella Bellutti of Italy, finally reduced the mark to 3 min 31.526 sec. Earlier, Lucy Tyler-Sharman of Australia and Marion Clignet of France had also bettered the old record of 3:31.924 set by Bellutti in Cali, Colombia, in April. Tyler-Sharman clocked 3:31.830 and 10 minutes later Clignet improved the time to 3:31.674. Clignet had an even briefer reign as world record-holder for Bellutti was next on the track. Bellutti, a former athlete who switched to cycling only two years ago, is bidding for her first world title after taking the silver medal at Bogot, Colombia, last year. McGregor, who finished fourth in the Olympic Games, was a little way off the pace, finishing in 3:41.823. She faces the fifth fastest qualifier, Natalia Karimovoa of Russia, in the next round.