The 29-year old, winner of the keirin and one kilometre time trial titles earlier in the week, had to defeat Britain's Olympic champion Jason Kenny in the quarter-finals last night to even make it into the final day of action.

But once there he swept past Russia's Denis Dmitriev to make a final in which he beat Germany's defending champion Stefan Boetticher, with Dmitriev recovering to take bronze. 

Pervis continued France's historic domination in the men's sprint, with the country having only missed the World Championship podium twice in the last 20 years, and he joins a pantheon of French sprinting legends, including Florian Rousseau, Arnaud Tournant and Gregory Bauge.

Although other cyclists have won three gold medals in a Championships before, Pervis is the first to claim three individual titles.

But while the Frenchman has been the outstanding male of the Championships in Colombia, the female equivalent has been Kristina Vogel.

The German won her third gold medal of the week in the keirin on the final day to follow earlier victories in the individual and team sprint events.

Behind her, Australia's Anna Meares won a 22nd career medal to become the most decorated athlete in World Championship history, while Becky James of Britain took bronze.

Francois Pervis and Kristina Vogel, the king and queen of Cali, celebrate together after each secured a third gold medal of the Championships ©AFP/Getty Images




Elsewhere, one of the greatest velodrome rivalries of recent times continued in the women's omnium when Sarah Hammer of the United States held off the challenge of Britain's Olympic champion Laura Trott to defend the title she won last year.

In an identical podium to the 2013 event in Minsk, Trott took the silver medal and Anette Edmondson of Australia the bronze.

The final title of the week came in the madison, where Spanish pair David Juaneda Muntaner and Albert Barcelo Torres won an entertaining race with 18 points ahead of pairs from the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

Germany and France finished at the top of the medals table with four titles apiece, with Germany ahead by virtue of their four silver medals in comparison to France's solitary bronze.

Australia finished in third place with eight medals including three golden ones, while Great Britain were in a slightly disappointing fourth place with two golds among a total of five medals.