TEMECULA - Sarah Hammer of Temecula won the gold medal in women's individual pursuit at the 2013 UCI Track World Championships today in Minsk, Belarus, her fifth world title in the event.

Hammer posted the fastest time in the morning qualifying round. Her finals time of three minutes, 32.050 seconds was more than eight seconds faster than her opponent, Amy Cure of Australia.

In individual pursuit, the two cyclists start at opposite sides of the track in the 3,000-meter race and attempt to catch the opposing cyclist or record the fastest time.

"Cure put up a good fight, jumping out to a lead of nearly one second in Advertisement

[ Berry-Bell and Hall Mortuary ] the first kilometer, but Sarah stuck to the plan and chipped away at Cure's lead for the next four laps," said Benjamin Sharp, USA Cycling's high performance director of endurance programs.

"Sarah made large gains in the final four laps, enjoying the advantage of getting close enough to see her opponent in the same stretch."

Hammer also won world titles in the event in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011.

Hammer, the lone U.S. representative for the UCI Track World Championships, will next compete in the scratch race on Friday and the omnium, a two-day six-event competition that Hammer won a silver medal in at the London Olympics.