Shanks' time of 3min 37.438sec in the qualifying round at the Invercargill velodrome broke the New Zealand resident record of Olympic champion Sarah Ulmer by 1.5sec. It was the fastest time for the distance in New Zealand.
It was only the second time Shanks (25) had contested the event at the national championships, and she claimed her first track title in the final. She had finished runner-up to Paddy Walker (Auckland) in 2006.
Her final time was even faster and she lowered the record again, to 3min 36.4sec, when she beat Kerrianne Torkler (Taranaki).
‘‘I'm just fizzing,'' Shanks said. ‘‘To break two records in one day is exciting. It's a great place to be at.''
The time in the final ranks Shanks in the top five in the world over the past 12 months and makes her a definite medal prospect for the Beijing Olympics.
Coach Craig Palmer has talked to Shanks about the need to slow down the pace on the first kilometre.
‘‘We've talked about race pace and not going out too hard,'' Shanks said. ‘‘I was able to sustain it to the finish today. It's been my downfall in the past.''
Shanks' kilometre times in her heat illustrate the value of the restrained approach: 1min 15.62sec (first km), 1min 11sec (second), 1min 11.5sec (third).
She showed the same restraint in the final: 1min 15sec (first km), 1min 11sec (second) and 1min 10sec (third).
Shanks, who has received much advice from Ulmer since she gave up netball and started cycling, received a text of congratulations from the former record-holder after her two record rides.
‘‘I'm excited,'' Shanks told the Otago Daily Times from Invercargill last night. ‘‘It's special to break a record held by a rider as good as Sarah.
‘‘The fact that I rode a personal best time and broke the record means that my training is on track. I'm doing things right and getting faster.''
Shanks' best times for the event are: 3min 37.438sec (Invercargill, February 2008), 3min 37.7sec (world championships, Majorca 2007), 3min 38.4sec (World Cup, Copenhagen 2008), 3min 38.8sec (World Cup, Sydney 2007), 3min 39.1sec (World Cup, Manchester 2007).
Shanks is in ninth place in the Union of Cycling International standings but she still needs a solid performance at the world championships in Manchester at the end of next month to confirm her spot for the Olympics.
The 12 top-ranked riders in the world qualify to compete in Beijing.
‘‘It is a very complex system and Ali must gain more points at the world championships at Manchester at the end of March,'' Palmer said.
‘‘But it looks more encouraging now.'' Shanks has done a higher and more intense mileage in her build-up and is expected to be in a better position than last year.
Palmer is also monitoring her closely with biomechanical analysis and noting the power output she puts in on the bike.
