Canadian speed skater Jeremy Wotherspoon, coming off one of the best seasons of his career as he gears up for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, broke his arm today in a crash in a 500-metre race at the season-opening World Cup long track event in Berlin.
Wotherspoon, who won nine of 10 World Cup 500-metre races last season after returning from a year away from competition, was looking today to improve on a seventh-place finish Friday in his opening race of the season. But the reigning world champion crashed coming around the final turn and had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher.
Speed Skating Canada spokesperson Mylene Croteau said it's suspected that the Red Deer, Alta., native has a broken upper left arm.
It was the second serious crash for a veteran Canadian sprinter in as many days as Mike Ireland of Winnipeg separated his shoulder in a fall on Friday.
It's not known how long the injury will sideline the 32-year-old Wotherspoon.
