After an up-and-down day cyclist Tara Whitten remains in omnium medal contention at London Olympic Games

The goal remains in sight for cyclist Tara Whitten.

Whitten sits in fourth place heading into Tuesday's final day of the omnium. Considered a strong second-day rider in the gruelling six-discipline event, the Edmonton native remains in medal contention.

"She has not lost sight of being Olympic champion at all," track coach Richard Wooles told Postmedia. "She's fully focused. This is the one we came for. This is our best chance out of all the (track) events."

[Related: Whitten leads Canada to the podium]

Britain's Laura Trott, the reigning world champion, and American Sarah Hammer lead with 12 points. Australia's Annette Edmonson is next with 17 followed by Whitten with 18. Only seven points separate fourth from eighth place.

Whitten had an up-and-down day in Monday's opening round of competition.

She finished a mildly disappointing seventh in the first race, the flying lap, which is a race against the clock. She moved up to second place overall following the 20-kilometre points race. Whitten was eliminated during the 10th sprint of the elimination race while her three main competitors for medals remained.

"I'm still a little bit stunned about what happened,'' Whitten said. "I just have to re-focus for tomorrow. If I have a really good pursuit I think I can move up the rankings."

[Slideshow: Canada claims cycling bronze]

The 32-year-old, who won a bronze medal in the women's team pursuit Saturday, dominated the omnium for two years having won the world championship in 2010 and 2011. She finished fourth at this year's world championships in April.

Tuesday's races consist of a 3,000-metre individual pursuit where two riders start at opposite sides of the track and race against the clock. After that is a 10-kilometre scratch race, where the first rider to cross the line wins, and finally a 500-metre time trial where each competitor rides the course aiming for the fastest time.

In each event the winner gets one point, the second place rider two points and the third three points. The rider with the lowest total score at the end of six events wins.

Canada came into the Games considered a medal contender in both the men's and women's omnium. Zach Bell of North Vancouver, B.C., struggled in his opening day and finished eighth.

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