鈥淵ou have to handle the ups and downs,鈥� said Ryan Cochrane.
The Victoria swim star did just that Tuesday at the 2013 FINA world aquatics championships in Barcelona by qualifying with the third-fastest time in the 800-metre freestyle. That followed an agonizing fourth-place finish Sunday in the 400-metre freestyle final.
Cochrane clocked 7:49.58 to qualify for today鈥檚 eight-man 800-metre final. The fastest qualifier was Connor Jaeger of the U.S. in 7:49.28 followed by Sun Yang of China in 7:49.37.
鈥淚t was pretty hard coming back from the 400 metres,鈥� said Cochrane.
鈥淔ourth place by 2/10ths of a second 鈥� it stings a bit. But the 800 and the 1,500 are definitely my more comfortable events.鈥�
While some distance freestylers have worked their way up from the 400 and have natural speed, Cochrane is a pure distance freestyler. Volume and endurance are his hallmarks and the 800 and 1,500 metres are his benchmark events. The Islander has proven that in the 1,500 with his Olympic silver medal at London 2012 and breakout bronze at Beijing 2008, and he is expected to win his third consecutive world championships medal in the event on the weekend.
Cochrane also goes after his third straight world championships medal today in the non-Olympic event 800 metres after winning silver in Shanghai in 2011 and bronze in Rome in 2009.
鈥淩yan swam a very controlled 800 free and got himself an appropriate lane in the middle of the pool,鈥� said national team head coach Randy Bennett of Victoria, of the qualifying race.
Bennett is also Cochrane鈥檚 personal coach at Saanich Commonwealth Place with the Victoria Academy of Swimming, which has produced six of the nine Island athletes competing in the 2013 FINA worlds, including 5K open-water silver-medallist Eric Hedlin.
Cochrane and Bennett have a close and symbiotic relationship that has produced big results.
鈥淲e focus on results and the steps to get there,鈥� said Cochrane.
As for his rivalry with Sun Yang, the Chinese swimmer who has been unbeatable from 400 to 1,500 metres in the freestyle the past few years, Cochrane鈥檚 reaction seemed muted.
鈥淚 have as much rivalry with the top three or four guys [than against Sun Yang specifically],鈥� he said.
鈥淚 focus on getting my hand to the wall [rather than on the personalities involved].鈥�
