WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada set a world record of 34.03 seconds in the men's 500m event during the first day of the World Cup speedskating in Salt Lake City on Friday.

Wotherspoon, 31, bettered the previous record of 34.25 seconds set by South Korean Lee Kang-seok on March 9.

Four-time world sprint champion Wotherspoon is returning to competition after his disappointing ninth-place finish in the 500m during the 2006 Turin Olympics.