Even if he never took another stroke, Ryan Cochrane鈥檚 place in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame is assured.
But the two-time Olympic medallist from Victoria feels something is missing.
There is only one more step up the podium for Island swimming great Cochrane.
But it鈥檚 the steepest.
鈥淚 knew I wanted to do something different this year [during training],鈥� said Cochrane, by phone from Barcelona, where he begins his triple-medal quest today at the 2013 FINA world aquatics championships starting with the 400-metre freestyle.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e done in the past got me second place, which I鈥檓 happy with.鈥�
Yet the way he said it, indicated he鈥檚 not yet fully content with a career that has included his breakout bronze in the 1,500-metre freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, sa国际传媒鈥檚 first medal in the Olympic pool since Sydney 2000, followed up the silver medal in the 1,500 free at the 2012 London Olympics.
The 24-year-old graduate of Claremont Secondary won silver medals in both the 1,500- and 800-metre freestyle at the last world aquatics championships in 2011 at Shanghai.
At both the 2011 worlds and 2012 London Olympics, it took a world-record performance by the seemingly-invincible Sun Yang of China to defeat Cochrane in the 1,500 metres.
Cochrane鈥檚 two major international gold medals came in the 400 and 1,500 freestyles at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, an event in which China does not compete. The road to gold this week at Barcelona and at Rio 2016 must go through Sun Yang, who is only 21. He has become Moby Dick to Cochrane鈥檚 Capt. Ahab.
The epic duel between the two resumes today in the 400-metre freestyle, an event in which a tactical error cost Cochrane a spot in the final at the London Olympics while Sun Yang went on to win gold. That has irked Cochrane for a year because he felt prepared to pop a podium performance at London in the shorter 400 distance.
鈥淚 have focused more on speed and more on the 400 lately and I am satisfied with the results of that in training,鈥� he said.
It鈥檚 also imperative to perfect the 400 freestyle because while the 800 freestyle is a world championships event, it is not contested in the Olympics.
There are nine Island athletes competing in the 2013 world aquatics championships, of which six come from Cochrane鈥檚 Victoria Academy/Island Swimming club, including 20-year-old Eric Hedlin, who won a breakout silver medal in the open-water 5K earlier at the worlds.
Victoria Academy operates under coach Randy Bennett, who is also Canadian head coach.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a comfort thing to be at events like the world championships and Olympics with people you are in the trenches with every day at Saanich Commonwealth Place,鈥� said Cochrane, who follows up today鈥檚 400 freestyle with the 800 freestyle mid-week and the 1,500 free next Sunday.
鈥淲e push each other.鈥�
All the way to the podium.
WORLD BEAT: Richard Weinberger of Victoria, the 2012 London Olympics open-water 10K bronze medallist, faded to 26th Saturday at the worlds in the 25K marathon, which is not his specialty. The Islander was denied the podium earlier in the worlds at Barcelona when he missed making the turn at a buoy and placed fifth 鈥� With pool swimming beginning, Sportsnet will broadcast a daily one-hour highlights package from the FINA world championships, beginning tonight at 8.
