She is the province's best hope of winning senior titles at the week-long New Zealand track championships.
Shanks (26) is training with the New Zealand high performance squad at the Invercargill velodrome in preparation for the world championships that begin in Poland on March 24.
The national championships are being used as a warm-up for the world championships and Shanks will be continuing her intense training next week.
"I've only had two days on the track and am still coming up," Shanks said. "I don't want to run the risk of having to peak twice."
Shanks is the defending champion in the pursuit and will be attempting the 500m time trial for the first time.
"Its just part of our training for the worlds," Shanks said. "It will be a good hit-out for me."
Shanks started the year in style by winning the World Cup in Beijing in January.
She lowered her personal best for the distance to 3min 30.685sec, 2sec under her best time at the Olympics and nearly a full second under her previous best, set in the qualifying run in Beijing.
Charlotte Kelly (16), a bronze medallist in the 7.5km scratch race at the Australian Youth Olympics in Sydney last month, is expected to dominate the women's under-19 sprints.
She won the 2000m scratch race from fellow Dunedin riders Honor Davies and Katri Laike at the Otago championships at Mosgiel and should get a gold medal in this event in Invercargill.
Her other gold medal is expected in the keirin.
Her last 200m when winning the women's open title at the Otago championships was timed at 13.92sec.
A women's team pursuit is being held for the first time at a New Zealand championships and the Otago team of Emma Hutchinson, Emma Masterton, Katherine Jones and Laike is expected to gain a podium spot.
Patrick Jones is a medal contender in the men's under-17 points race and 2km individual pursuit.
Other Otago riders likely to reach the podium include Amy Pearce in the women's under-17 endurance events and Daniel Beatson in the men's keirin.
