Australia's Commonwealth Games sprint champion Shane Perkins has won through to the quarter finals of the event after two solid performances during the morning session of Day 8 competition at the Olympic Velodrome.

Perkins, 25, qualified third fastest with a time of 9.987sec. for the flying 200m, one of only three riders to break the 10sec. barrier.

The others were Great Britain's Jason Kenny (9.713) and Frenchman Gregory Bauge (9.952).

Bauge is the world sprint champion from Melbourne and Kenny won the silver medal and was preferred to five times Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy to ride the sprint event at the London Olympics.

Perkins easily accounted for Spanish rider Hodei Mazquiaran in the morning's second round to go through to the quarter finals, which will contested during tonight's session.

The Victorian will also contest the keirin and team sprint at these Games.

Victorian Glenn O'Shea, who is the world champion in the omnium, started his Olympic campaign in solid fashion by riding the third fastest time in the opening event of the six-event series this morning.

O'Shea, 23, from Bendigo in central Victoria, rode a time of 13.222sec. for the flying 200m, with only Great Britain's Ed Clancy (12.556) and New Zealand's Shane Archibold (13.112) ahead of him in the standings.

Under the omnium points scoring system, each winning rider receives one point, two for second, three for third, etc, with the rider who accumulates the least number of points being declared the winner.

At the world championships in Melbourne, O'Shea finished no worst than sixth in any event to take out the gold medal.

O'Shea, a member of Australia's silver medal team pursuit quartet, will also be in action tonight, riding the 30km points race at 5pm, and then fronting for the elimination race at 6.25pm.

O'Shea faces an arduous weekend if he is to win the gold medal. The omnium continues with the 4km individual pursuit in the morning session of Day 9 of competition, and concludes with the 15km scratch race and 1km time-trial during the evening session of Day 9.

Cycling Australia