Yuskov stormed to victory in 1min 41.33sec, 0.29 seconds shy of Shani Davis of the United States' world record, set in Salt Lake City in 2009.

The three-time world single distances champion finished ahead of Dutchman Koen Verweij, who also impressed with a time of 1:41.95 at the Calgary Olympic Oval.

Verweij's compatriot Kjeld Nuis took home the bronze medal.

"I skated faster than I ever did and that’s unknown territory," Yuskov said. 

"My speed comes easy and that’s good against an opponent like him.

"It was good until the final 200 metres. 

"In the corner I lost my technique, that's the fighter in me. 

"It's trying too hard but I need to control my technique better."

In the women's 1,500m, Japan's Miho Takagi secured her third consecutive World Cup win in a time of 1:51.79.

The Japanese star broke her country's national record by over two seconds to take victory ahead of Dutch skater Marrit Leenstra and Yekaterina Shikhova of Russia, who earned silver and bronze respectively.

Leenstra and Shikhova also managed to set national records on their way to podium finishes.

Takagi's compatriot Nao Kodaira recovered from a nasty-looking crash yesterday to claim the women's 500m spoils by clocking 36.53sec.

The Japanese skater proved too strong for two-time Olympic 500m champion Lee Sang-hwa of South Korea, who ended with silver having crossed the line in 36.86.

Arisa Go of Japan also went under the 37-second barrier on her way to clinching bronze.

Canada's Alex Boisvert-Lacroix claimed the men's 500m gold medal in 34.31, with Cha Min-kyu of South Korea and Finland's Mika Poutala finishing with silver and bronze respectively.

Germany's Claudia Pechstein, who had been at the centre of a protracted legal dispute with the ISU after she served a two-year drugs ban in 2009, skated to victory in the women's mass start in 8:38.89.

Elena Moeller-Rigas of Denmark won silver and the bronze went to Nana Takagi of Japan.