Camerawork by Michael Hutchinson
Edited by Coleman Hodges/ Mitch Bowmile
Reported by Mitch Bowmile
Ryan Cochrane has been one of the most important swimmers on the Canadian roster since his international medal debut at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Since then, he’s medalled at every major international competition spanning the Commonwealth Games, the Pan Pacific Championships, and the World Championships.
In 2013, he won a sixth World Championship medal which moved him to the winningest Canadian swimmer in World Championship history.
This summer, assuming he qualifies for the team, he’ll have the chance to better that mark in what could be his last World Championships. Cochrane previously stated that he plans to retire sometime after the 2016 Olympic Games, meaning that if he does that, these world championships will be his last.
Cochrane is swimming both the 400 and 1500 freestyles at Canadian trials this week in an attempt to grab a spot on the World Championship roster. He was previously entered in the 200 freestyle, but scratched that.
Cochrane is the top seed in both the 400 and 1500 and one of the favourites to make the team on the men’s side.
He joins Nancy Garapick, Becky Smith, Joanne Malar and more than a few other Canadian swimmers in that he has been denied the top step on the podium because of doping. I hate that…
He’s an enormous talent and a good guy, too.
M Palota – Interesting point. The only two swimmers who have beaten Cochrane in a 1500 at a major LC international meet since 2008, and haven’t been involved in a doping scandal, are Grant Hackett (2008 OLY) and Connor Jaeger (2014 Pan Pacs).
As for the 800, only McBroom (2013) and Lin (2009) have beaten him and not been involved in doping.