Ryan Cochrane (swimmer)
Encyclopedia
Ryan Andrew Cochrane is a Canadian long-distance
swimmer
. Cochrane is an Olympic bronze medalist as well as the reigning double gold medalist in both the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. He holds multiple world championship medals. For the year of 2010, Cochrane was named the Canadian male swimmer of the year at the 2010 Big Splash Awards Gala in Toronto
.
in the 400 m freestyle, where he finished ninth in the heats with a Canadian record time of 3:44.85 and failed to qualify for the final. Cochrane also competed in the 1500 m freestyle where he briefly held the Olympic record after swimming a time of 14:40.84 in the heats. This record was soon broken by previous record holder Grant Hackett
, who swam a time of 14:38.92. He qualified in second position for the final, and won the bronze medal on August 17. It was the first Olympic medal for a Canadian swimmer since the 2000 Summer Olympics
. It was the first medal for Canada in the 1500m freestyle in 88 years
.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in Delhi
, India
Cochrane won Canada's first gold medal of those games in the 400 m freestyle during the first day of competition. Cochrane also became the first Canadian man in 72 years to win gold in the 400 m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games. He then went on to win another gold medal at those games, this time in the 1500 m freestyle.
Cochrane next competed at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
where he opened up with a fifth place finish in the 400 m. Next up was one of his medal hopeful events in the 800 m freestyle where he lowered his Canadian record to 7:41:86. However this was only good enough for second, as despite staying close to the hometown favourite of Shanghai
, Sun Yang
ultimately took the gold for China
. Of the silver medal Cochrane said that "The goal was to win but I'm happy to progress from the last two years. It shows that I'm in it. I have a little more work to do to catch Sun Yang but I'm not out of it by any means."
He next competed in the 1,500 m in Shanghai where he again finished second behind Yang who swam to a world record time. Of a second finish behind Yang, Cochrane could only say that "He shows that he's had that much more base-work training and he can get to that world record, which is fantastic. I think it's great, especially for the distance events because everyone's been talking about this world record year after year and there's more pressure that's built up...He's showed amazing stroke and amazing ability."
Short course (25 m)
Long-distance swimming
The distances that distinguish long distance swimming from ordinary swimming are those distances that are longer than are typically swum in pool competitions. When a given swim calls more on endurance than outright speed, the more likely it is to be considered a long distance swim...
swimmer
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
. Cochrane is an Olympic bronze medalist as well as the reigning double gold medalist in both the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. He holds multiple world championship medals. For the year of 2010, Cochrane was named the Canadian male swimmer of the year at the 2010 Big Splash Awards Gala in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Career
He competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in the 400 m freestyle, where he finished ninth in the heats with a Canadian record time of 3:44.85 and failed to qualify for the final. Cochrane also competed in the 1500 m freestyle where he briefly held the Olympic record after swimming a time of 14:40.84 in the heats. This record was soon broken by previous record holder Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
, who swam a time of 14:38.92. He qualified in second position for the final, and won the bronze medal on August 17. It was the first Olympic medal for a Canadian swimmer since the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. It was the first medal for Canada in the 1500m freestyle in 88 years
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Cochrane won Canada's first gold medal of those games in the 400 m freestyle during the first day of competition. Cochrane also became the first Canadian man in 72 years to win gold in the 400 m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games. He then went on to win another gold medal at those games, this time in the 1500 m freestyle.
Cochrane next competed at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
2011 World Aquatics Championships
The 14th FINA World Championships were held at July 16–31, 2011 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The 2011 World Championships featured five aquatics disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, open water, and synchronised swimming...
where he opened up with a fifth place finish in the 400 m. Next up was one of his medal hopeful events in the 800 m freestyle where he lowered his Canadian record to 7:41:86. However this was only good enough for second, as despite staying close to the hometown favourite of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Sun Yang
Sun Yang
Sun Yang is an Olympic and world-record-holding distance swimmer from China. He swam for China at the 2008 Olympics. At the 2010 Asian Games, he won the men's 1500m freestyle in an Asian Record; this swim and his two other medals at the Games were cited in his being named the Rookie of the Year...
ultimately took the gold for China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Of the silver medal Cochrane said that "The goal was to win but I'm happy to progress from the last two years. It shows that I'm in it. I have a little more work to do to catch Sun Yang but I'm not out of it by any means."
He next competed in the 1,500 m in Shanghai where he again finished second behind Yang who swam to a world record time. Of a second finish behind Yang, Cochrane could only say that "He shows that he's had that much more base-work training and he can get to that world record, which is fantastic. I think it's great, especially for the distance events because everyone's been talking about this world record year after year and there's more pressure that's built up...He's showed amazing stroke and amazing ability."
Personal bests and records held
Long course (50 m)Short course (25 m)