If you can鈥檛 get motivated for this, well, then you simply can鈥檛 get motivated.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always easy to push yourself in an Olympic year,鈥� said Victoria鈥檚 Ryan Cochrane.
It鈥檚 suddenly very real for sa国际传媒鈥檚 best swimmers. The national Olympic trials for the 2016 Rio Summer Games begin today and run through Sunday at the Pan Am Games Pool in Toronto (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. PT daily on CBC).
鈥淚t hits home when you are here,鈥� said Cochrane, by phone, on the eve of the trials.
Cochrane is the most decorated swimmer heading into the trials, with an incredible 22 career international medals in a list that includes two in the Olympics, eight at the world championships, four at the Commonwealth Games, two in the Pan Am Games and six in the Pan Pacific championships.
While titles have been plentiful in the Commonwealth and Pan Ams, the Games gold that shines brightest has so far eluded Cochrane, who has bronze and silver in the Olympics in the 1,500-metre freestyle through Beijing 2008 and London 2012. He is careful, however, not to place needless pressure on himself heading into what will likely be his last Olympics at age 27.
Rather than stressing about the ultimate prize, he focuses on the process.
鈥淭raining has been going really well,鈥� he said.
And it has settled back into a routine after an emotionally devastating year in which Canadian Olympic team head coach Randy Bennett of Victoria, who was also Cochrane鈥檚 personal coach, died in 2015 of cancer at age 51.
鈥淲e underestimated the emotional toll it took on us,鈥� said Cochrane, of Bennett鈥檚 Victoria High Performance Training Centre swimmers, who are centralized at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
鈥淚t鈥檚 takes time to grieve.鈥�
It was also emotionally draining for Ryan Mallette, Bennett鈥檚 assistant, who took over coaching the Island-based elite group. Now he has Cochrane, Hilary Caldwell, Jeremy Bagshaw and Eric Hedlin at the trials (Alec Page has retired). Cochrane is considered a lock, Caldwell is an Olympian and world championship medallist, while Bagshaw and Hedlin are also given decent shots to make the Canadian team to Rio.
鈥淚t鈥檚 impressive the way [Mallette] has handled it,鈥� said Cochrane.
鈥淭here has been pressure on him, too. But he has been relatable and prepared. He has built on what Randy did. There has been a progression. Hilary [Caldwell], Jeremy [Bagshaw] and Eric [Hedlin] have done all they can to be ready for this.鈥�
Hedlin concurs.
鈥淚 feel very prepared to race,鈥� said the distance freestyler.
鈥淚 want to be part of this [Victoria training centre] group going forward. Ryan [Cochrane] is always pushing me to go faster. He is a world-class athlete and it鈥檚 always about the goal.鈥�
