It was a simple matter of who could lift their hands to the wall quickest.
When the spray had settled, the 400-metre freestyle remained problematic for Ryan Cochrane of Victoria.
The two-time Olympic medallist in the 1,500-metre freestyle was third at 350 metres but placed fourth in the 400-free final Sunday at the 2013 FINA world aquatics championships in Barcelona.
鈥淔ourth place stings, to say the least,鈥� Cochrane said by phone from Barcelona.
鈥淚 was on the wrong side of the touch.鈥�
Silver-medallist Kosuke Hagino of Japan (3:44.82) and bronze-medallist Connor Jaeger of the U.S. (3:44.85) just got their hands to the wall ahead of Cochrane (3:45.02).
Nobody was close to the winner and defending Olympic and world champion Yang Sun of China (3:41.59).
While some 1,500-metre specialists have worked their way up from the 400 and have natural speed, Cochrane is a pure long-distance freestyler without natural speed in the 400. Yet he was fifth in the 400 at the 2011 worlds in Shanghai and now fourth in Barcelona after a tactical error cost him a spot in the final at the 2012 London Olympics.
The podium in the 400 freestyle is very much the goal for Rio 2016.
鈥淚鈥檓 in the medal hunt for the 400. I have to keep chipping away,鈥� said Cochrane.
The Claremont Secondary graduate won silver medals in both the 1,500- and 800-metre freestyle events at the 2011 worlds. There is no rest as the qualifying races in the 800 metres in Barcelona begin today with the final on Wednesday. While not contested in the Olympics, the inclusion of the 800 metres makes for a hectic week at the world championships for distance freestylers.
鈥淭he 400, 800 and 1,500 is a lot of events in an eight-day cycle,鈥� noted Cochrane.
鈥淏ut it means I have two more chances [800 and 1,500 freestyles] to win world championship medals for sa国际传媒 in 2013 and I don鈥檛 take that lightly,鈥� said Cochrane.
The 24-year-old UVic student then gave an indication this might be his final quadrennial through the 2013 worlds, 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, 2015 FINA world championships in Kazan, Russia, and 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
鈥淚 only have a couple of years left in my career and I want to make the most of every opportunity,鈥� said Cochrane.
WORLD BEAT: Cochrane, one of nine Islanders competing in the 2013 FINA world championships, races his 1,500 metres specialty next weekend with qualifying on Saturday and the final Sunday 鈥� Cochrane鈥檚 fourth-place in the 400 free gave Islanders three top-five placings so far at the 2013 worlds, with Eric Hedlin winning a breakout silver medal in the 5K open-water swim. Fellow Victorian Richard Weinberger, the 2012 London Olympics open-water 10K bronze medallist, was fifth in the event earlier in the worlds when he missed making the turn at a buoy 鈥� Katerine Savard of Quebec and Noemie Thomas of Richmond were fifth and seventh, respectively, Monday in the women鈥檚 100-metre butterfly final.
