Ryan Cochrane鈥檚 ambition to lay siege on Barcelona this summer began with a kinetic opening night Wednesday at the Canadian swim trials for the 2013 FINA world championships, to be held July 19-Aug. 4 in the Catalan capital.
Victoria鈥檚 Cochrane set a 2013 world-best time of 7:49.26 in the 800-metre freestyle in his home Saanich Commonwealth Place pool before a large and appreciative gallery.
鈥淚鈥檝e been doing the best training of my life recently and it鈥檚 super encouraging to get that time so early in the year,鈥� said the two-time Olympic medallist, who won silver in the 800 freestyle at the last world championships in 2011 at Shanghai.
鈥淚 was excited but a little nervous because we changed some things up, doing less distance training and focusing more on sprinting, and it鈥檚 paid dividends because I can鈥檛 let the 400 freestyle [Cochrane is world-renowned for the 800 and 1,500] fall by the wayside. It felt good all the way.鈥�
Island swimmers swept the podium with Eric Hedlin of the UVic Vikes and Island Swimming second in 8:06.35 and Craig Dagnall of UVic-Pacific Coast Swimming the bronze medallist in 8:13.65.
Alec Page of Cortes Island, an 18-year-old Olympic rookie last year at London, was also swimming in his home pool Wednesday, and stamped his ticket to Barcelona in the men鈥檚 200-metre freestyle by placing second in 1:49.36, behind former Victoria Swim Academy teammate Blake Worsley (1:48.80).
Because sa国际传媒 has qualified a relay team in the men鈥檚 4x200 freestyle, the top-four finishers in the event Wednesday are going to Barcelona. Joining Worsley and Page on the relay squad will be the emerging brothers Ali and Hassaan Abdel-Khalik of Etobicoke, Ont., as Jeremy Bagshaw of Victoria just missed by placing fifth.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited. Hopefully, I can get better as a swimmer,鈥� said Page.
Worsley 鈥� born in sa国际传媒 but raised in Steamboat Springs, Colorado 鈥� thought he had retired after leaving the Victoria Swim Academy following the London Olympic trials but found a new wave in Toronto over the winter.
鈥淎 couple of months ago, I didn鈥檛 know I鈥檇 still be swimming,鈥� he said in his poolside interview for the crowd. 鈥淟o and behold, I鈥檓 on the [national] team again.鈥�
sa国际传媒 has also qualified a women鈥檚 4x200 freestyle relay team for the world championships, so the top-four in that final Wednesday will go to Barcelona. And as a medal threat.
鈥淎fter [sa国际传媒鈥檚] Olympic fourth-place finish [at London in the 4x200 free relay], we realized we had something special,鈥� said Samantha Cheverton of Pointe Claire, Que., who placed second in 1:58.80 to winner Barbara Jardin of Montreal (1:58.25).
Brittany MacLean of Etobicoke, Ont., was third in 1:59.53 and Savannah King of Vernon fourth in 2:00.34.
The relay team consisted of Jardin, Cheverton, MacLean and Amanda Reason, the last of whom will be supplanted in Barcelona by King.
鈥淚鈥檓 so excited. It鈥檚 always been a dream of mine to be on this relay team,鈥� said King.
The national trials run through Saturday. The qualification sessions each day at 10 a.m. are free to the public. The finals begin at 6 p.m. each night.
