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You can scarcely avoid Ryan Cochrane鈥檚 influence at Saanich Commonwealth Place Pool.
The two-time Olympic medallist in the 1,500-metre freestyle won the preliminary race Saturday at the Canadian Olympic swim trials in Toronto in 15:08.03, well under the Rio 2016 qualifying standard of 15:14.77.
What really shows the impact of the Cochrane era is that his Island Swimming Club teammates filled in the next three spots with Rafael Davila second in 15:27.53, Peter Brothers third in 15:32.21 and Eric Hedlin fourth in 15:32.27.
Jon McKay of the University of Victoria/Pacific Coast Club was eighth in 15:39.17 to make it five athletes from Victoria in the final, which will be swum tonight, with the top-two finishers advancing to the Olympics this summer in Rio, as long as they clock under the qualifying standard.
Cochrane, the bronze medallist at Beijing 2008 and silver medallist at London 2012, has to be considered a lock to qualify as he pursues his dream of finally rising to Olympic gold at Rio.
鈥淏eing able to get under the qualifying time in the morning is ideal and it sets me up well to go even faster [in the final tonight],鈥� Cochrane said from Toronto.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also encouraging that our team from Island Swimming holds the top [four] spots for the final. Hopefully, we can qualify two men in the event for Rio.鈥�
A noteworthy aspect among the aspirants hoping for the second Canadian spot behind Cochrane is that Davila, practically unheard of before his breakthrough preliminary performance Saturday, is only 17, while Brothers is 19, Hedlin 22 and McKay 20.
鈥淭here is a lot of coming excitement. I want to be part of this group going forward. I鈥檓 really motivated,鈥� Hedlin said.
This is likely Cochrane鈥檚 final Olympics as he stalks his great rival at Rio, the defending Olympic champion and world record-holder Sun Yang of China. While no one will ever replace 27-year-old Cochrane 鈥� who has 22 international medals at the Olympics, Commonwealth and Pan Am Games, world championships and Pan Pacs 鈥� there is no shortage of young Island swimmers who have been influenced by his success and are coming up in his wake.
鈥淚n training, you see Ryan right there next to you,鈥� Hedlin said. 鈥淗e is always pushing me to go faster.鈥�
Cochrane becomes even more of a mentor and role model to the younger Island Swimming Club athletes during meets.
鈥淩yan always brings it. He is a world-class athlete and is so race-focused,鈥� Hedlin said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always about the goal.鈥�
The goal this year, Cochrane has stated, is to win two medals at the Rio Olympics. He began that quest earlier in the week by qualifying for the 400-metre freestyle in winning the Canadian trials in 3:48.54, comfortably under the Olympic qualifying standard of 3:50.44. But Cochrane admitted it was 鈥渉eartbreaking鈥� watching second-place Brothers and third-place Jeremy Bagshaw, both Island Swimming teammates, miss the qualifying standard for Rio in the 400.
The double medal at Rio appears attainable for Cochrane. Even though the 400 freestyle is his minor event, Cochrane won gold in the 400 last summer at the Pan Am Games and bronze at the world championships, and holds the Canadian record of 3:43.46 set in winning gold at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
