Olympics: Germany's Vogel wins women's cycling sprint gold

Germany's Kristina Vogel edged Becky James of Britain by four-thousandths of a second to win the women's Olympic track cycling sprint gold medal in Rio on Tuesday.

And she didn't even need a seat to do it.

..while her saddle stayed on the track. (AFP)

Vogel held-off the fast-finishing James to prevail in the best of three leg final.

However, the tables could have easily been turned with Vogel's bike suffering a mechanical mishap in the final leg - her saddle falling from its home as the seatpost snapped near the finish line.

"Well that's one way to win a gold medal," Cycling commentator Phil Liggett said.

"I've never seen that in my life."

James, who also won silver in the keirin, was the fastest qualifier but two-time former world champion Vogel used all her experience to take gold.

Britain finished with two medals as Katy Marchant beat keirin champion Elis Ligtlee of the Netherlands for bronze.