Abergavenny’s Rachel James delivered some impressive performances when making her UCI Track World Cup debut with Team USN in Los Angeles.

She finished fifth in her keirin first round heat, with Germany’s Kristina Vogel taking the win.That result pushed James into the repechages, where she kept her chances in the competition alive by finishing second behind Colombia’s Martha Bayona Pineda.

In the second round, James finished fourth as Vogel once again picked up a win, on her way to gold in the keirin final, with James taking 10th place in the minor final.

The next day Rachel James qualified 13th in the women’s sprint, stopping the clock at 11.328. She advanced over Deborah, India, in the 1/16 finals and was drawn against Germany’s Hinze in the 1/8 finals. Hinze progressed to the quarterfinals with her win over James, with Kristina Vogel eventually taking gold.

Meanawhile fellow Monmouthshire rider Lewis Oliva came agonisingly close to the podium in Los Angeles as he finished fourth in the keirin.

Oliva eased through the first round, winning his heat to secure his place in the second round. The national champion finished second in round two, securing his place in the final.

In a gutsy performance, the final displayed keirin racing at its best but Oliva had to settle for fourth. Colmbia’s Puerta Zapata taking gold.

The day before Lewis Oliva qualified sixth fastest in the men’s sprint in a time of 10.002 - just missing out on an automatic route to the 1/8 finals by less than a tenth of a second.

Oliva was drawn against South Korea’s Chaebin Im In the 1/16 finals, but failed to advance with Russia’s Denis Dmitriev taking the gold.