Ryan Cochrane
The odds that there could be two Ryan Cochrane’s on the 2012 Olympic team just got higher. Of course there is Ryan Cochrane, the 2008 Olympic medal winning swimmer, but now watch for Ryan Cochrane the rising star on the Canadian paddling team.
Cochrane and his partner Hughes Fournel produced the biggest upset at the second National Team Trials when they defeated veterans Richard Dober Jr and Andrew Willows in the K-2 200-metre to earn the Canadian spot in the event for worlds. It was the first time in six years Willows and Dober, two-time Olympians, were beaten in the K-2 200 by a Canadian crew. Apart from the upset, it was also one of the most memorable celebrations by a Canadian crew.
When his boat crossed the finish line first, Cochrane threw his paddle like a javelin.
“I was just so excited,” said Cochrane, who entered the trials on the heels of two sixth place World Cup finishes with Fournel. “Beating those guys is a big accomplishment. We were very confident going into the race.”
Cochrane was born in Halifax and was raised in Windsor, N.S. He began paddling with his brother Justin at seven at a small club in Windsor. Ryan was the first athlete from the Pisiquid Aquatic Canoe Club to go to the junior worlds.
He is currently working on his degree in BSc (Psychology) at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax.
Contact Lorraine Lafreniere at CKC to add your name to the growing list llafreniere@canoekayak.ca
