May 14, 2007 (La Paz, Bolivia) РScottish cyclist Chris Hoy shattered the world record for 500 metres at a velodrome in the Bolivian capital yesterday reports AFP. Hoy, 31, made a time of 24 sec 758, shaving 1.092sec off the previous record (25 sec 850) held by Frenchman Arnaud Dubl̩ and set in 2001.

Hoy’s exploit was all the more amazing in that it comes on the heels of his two attempts to break the one kilometre record this past weekend. He is only “the second man ever to go under one minute on the kilometre,” according to his website: www.chrishoy.com

The d’Irpavi Velodrome in La Paz, where both records were set, is the highest in the world at 3,417 metres above sea level.

Hoy won Olympic gold at Athens in 2004 with a one kilometre time of 1:00.711. His coach is his father, David Hoy.