DELHI – Victoria swim star Ryan Cochrane won a second 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medal Saturday in the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle competition.
With Olympic bronze at Beijing in 2008, silver at the world championships in 2009 and gold this year in both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific championships, Cochrane hopes his streak will progress at the 2012 London Summer Games.
“As long as I’m progressing, I’m happy,” said Cochrane, following his victorious swim in 15:01.49.
“It will be an interesting next two years. I still have work to do when I get home.”
Home is Saanich Commonwealth Place, where Kieren Perkins of Australia set the former world record and existing Games record of 14:41.66 in the 1,500 freestyle when Cochrane was five years old and just going into kindergarten at Lochside Elementary. An out of season 2010 Games meant Cochrane had had no chance of approaching Perkins’ standard Saturday.
But that record is definitely in his sights in four years.
“I really felt the effects of the extended season out there today. If the [2014] Glasgow Games are in [summer] season, that [Perkins’ record] will be a goal for then,” said Cochrane, who earlier in the Delhi Games also won gold in the 400-metre freestyle.
Cochrane was challenged by upstart silver-medallist Heerden Herman of South Africa (15:03.70).
“I remember four years ago at the 2006 [Melbourne] Games, I took 20 seconds off my time,” said Cochrane, who was then 17 and a sixth-place finisher.
“There are always kids coming up and taking 20-seconds-plus off their best times in this event because it’s such a long distance. But it was nice to be pushed.”
Herman said he hopes to challenge Cochrane in the years to come.
“I tried staying with him as much as I could,” said the South African.
“He is a great competitor and is very tough. And he has the medals to prove it.”
Cochrane admitted to some nerves going in, but that was a good omen.
“I didn’t warm up well. But I often race my best when I don’t have good warm-ups,” said the Claremont Secondary graduate.
Fellow Victoria Academy swimmer Sean Penhale also made the final and placed seventh.
“That’s great for our club but you could see it coming with the way Sean trains,” said Cochrane.
“Four years ago, I squeaked in [to the final at Melbourne].”
So who knows what lays ahead for Penhale?
The Victoria Swim Academy won its sixth medal at these Games when Julia Wilkinson earned her third Delhi medal, all bronze, with the Canadian women’s 4×100 medley relay team Saturday. Stefan Hirniak of Victoria, a bronze medallist earlier, had his third fourth-place finish at these Games in the men’s 4×100 medley relay. Australia, which dominated the Games pool, capped it off by winning both those relays.
“This was a good half-way check for us to London 2012 and pointed out what we need to work on,” said Wilkinson.
Meanwhile, don’t tell Brent Hayden of Mission that the Commonwealth Games don’t matter anymore.
“I usually don’t get nervous before races but I could feel my hands tingling and my mouth go dry before this one,” said Hayden, after winning gold Saturday in the men’s 50-metre freestyle with a Games record clocking of 22.01 seconds.
“I never felt like that before a race. It’s because of how badly I wanted it,” added Hayden, who earlier won the 100-metre freestyle gold, also in a Games record.
“Two gold medals, both in Commonwealth Games record times, that’s huge. I am glad I was able to represent my country so well.”
After winning 2007 world championships gold in the marquee men’s 100-metre free, Hayden slipped off the precipice and inexplicably to 11th at the Beijing Olympics. Delhi could be Hayden’s statement about a potential re-emergence for London 2012.
Hayden broke South African Roland Schoeman’s Games record of 22.03 from Melbourne 2006. The Delhi crowd, displaying more class than silver-medallist Schoeman showed in describing one fan as yelling like a monkey the day before, did not boo but gave the Olympic gold-medallist polite applause whenhe took the podium next to Hayden.
Victoria swimmers Mackenzie Downing and Alex Komarnycky made finals Saturday, placing sixth and seventh respectively in the women’s 200-metre butterfly and 400-metre IM. Audrey Lacroix of Canada won silver in the 200 fly behind Jessicah Schipper of Australia, who set the world record in the event at the 2006 Pan Pacific championships held in Victoria.
Komarnycky said she has absorbed many lessons in Delhi that will hold her in good stead for London 2012.
“It’s about getting the experience of the Games Village and learning about the things that can go right and the things that can go wrong and being prepared for them,” she said.
cdheensaw@tc.canwest.com
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