Ryan Cochrane captures Canada's first gold medal of the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Cochrane’s gold gets Games underway

 

Swimmer Ryan Cochrane captured Canada's first gold medal of the 2014 Commonwealth Games Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland.

 

Cochrane, who trains at the Swimming Canada High Performance Centre - Victoria, defended his 400-metre freestyle gold medal with a Canadian record 3:43.46, the fastest time in the world this year.

 

“I’ve been trying to go a best time since the Beijing Olympics. That’s been hard year after year. In London being ninth (at the 2012 Olympics) was horrendously difficult,” he said. “Last year I was able to make the final (at FINA World Championships in Barcelona) but fourth place hurts.

 

Cochrane showed great late speed to charge down top-seeded Australian David McKeon on the final length.

 

“I went out hard and he went out a little harder,” Cochrane said. “He was pretty far ahead at the 300 and I just had to make sure I didn’t get out of control and be smooth and comfortable and use that excitement.”

 

“Ryan Cochrane’s 400 freestyle was a tremendous second half to the race. He finished so strong. He and his coach Randy Bennett really prepared well for that,” added Swimming Canada High Performance Director John Atkinson.

 

The women’s 4x100-m freestyle relay capped the evening with a bronze medal. The team of Victoria Poon, Sandrine Mainville, Michelle Williams and Alyson Ackman turned in a time of 3:40 even in a race that saw Australia set a world record at 3:30.98.

 

In other finals action, Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson of the High Performance Centre - Vancouver fell just short of a medal in the first event of the evening, which featured three Canadians. The Ottawa native finished fourth in the women's 400-m individual medley at 4:36.88, a personal best.

 

“My goal this year was to break 4:40 so to go four seconds under that I’m pretty ecstatic. The energy was a huge part and knowing the competition I had were world-ranked athletes and I’m capable of being a part of them. I think today I was and I’m happy with it,” she said.

 

The 19-year-old made her senior national team debut at last year’s FINA World Championships, where she said nerves got the better of her.

“It’s very exciting and very nerve-wracking at the same time,” she said of the feeling at her first Commonwealth Games. “Last year I was way more nervous. This year I had to take that experience and channel my nervousness into energy and excitement and I think I managed to do that pretty well.”

 

Meanwhile, Emily Overholt of West Vancouver broke her own Canadian age group record (15-17) in the 400 IM for the second time in a day. The 16-year-old finished fifth at 3:37.89, a strong debut for Canada's youngest national team member. Marni Oldershaw of Oakville, Ont., was sixth in 4:46.26.

 

Brittany MacLean of Etobicoke, Ont., and Sam Cheverton of Pointe-Claire, Que., finished fifth and seventh in the women's 200-m freestyle final. MacLean, 20, turned in a time of 1:57.20, Cheverton 1:57.79, both personal bests for the 2012 Olympians.

 

Several semifinals also took place Thursday. Two Canadians advanced to finals in the women's 200-m butterfly: Katerine Savard was second-fastest in semifinal action at 57.83, while fellow Pont-Rouge, Que., native Audrey Lacroix was seventh in 58.69.

 

Tera Van Beilen of the High Performance Centre - Vancouver advanced to Friday's finals third in the 50-m breaststroke with a semifinal time of 30.74, a personal best.

 

Russell Wood of Calgary also moved on to a final, grabbing the seventh spot in the men's 100-m backstroke with a personal best of 54.45.

 

Atkinson was pleased to see so many swimmers progressing with personal best times.

 

“One of the stated goals of the team when we came here was to progress from heats to semifinals and from heats to finals and on Day 1 the team certainly did that,” Atkinson said. “With 12 out of 16 swims progressing, that was job done this morning, and then to come back tonight we had some great swims.”

 

Swimming at the Commonwealth Games continues through Tuesday. For complete results visit http://results.glasgow2014.com/dailyschedule.html

 

 

 

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L’or de Cochrane lance les Jeux

Le nageur Ryan Cochrane a remporté la première médaille d’or du Canada aux Jeux du Commonwealth 2014, jeudi, à Glasgow, en Écosse.

 

Cochrane, qui s’entraîne au Centre de haute performance – Victoria de Natation Canada, a défendu sa médaille d’or du 400 mètres libre avec un record canadien de 3:43,46, le temps le plus rapide au monde cette année.

 

«J’ai essayé d’obtenir un record personnel depuis les Jeux olympiques de Beijing. Cela a été difficile année après année. À Londres, être neuvième (aux Jeux olympiques de 2012) a été horriblement difficile, dit-il. L’an dernier, j’ai réussi à participer à la finale (aux championnats du monde de la FINA à Barcelone) mais la quatrième place a fait mal.

 

Cochrane a montré une excellente vitesse de fin de course pour devancer le premier favori, l’Australien David McKeon dans la dernière longueur.

 

«Je suis parti fort et il est parti un peu plus fort, a dit Cochrane. Il avait pas mal d’avance au 300 et je devais simplement m’assurer de ne pas perdre le contrôle et d’y aller en douceur et à l’aise pour utiliser cette excitation.»

 

Le relais 4x100m libre féminin a complété la soirée avec une médaille de bronze. L’équipe de Victoria Poon, Sandrine Mainville, Michelle Williams et Alyson Ackman a réussi un temps de 3:40 dans une course qui a vu l’Australie établir un record du monde en 3:30,98.

 

Dans les autres finales, Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson, du Centre de haute performance - Vancouver a raté de justesse une médaille dans la première épreuve de la soirée, qui présentait trois Canadiennes. La nageuse originaire d’Ottawa a terminé quatrième au 400m QNI féminin en 4:36,88, un record personnel. Emily Overholt, de West Vancouver, a battu son propre record canadien groupe d’âge (15-17) pour la deuxième fois de la journée. La nageuse de 16 ans a terminé cinquième en 3:37,89, un solide début pour la plus jeune membre de l’équipe nationale du Canada. Marni Oldershaw, d’Oakville, en Ontario, s’est classée sixième en 4:46,26.

 

Brittany MacLean, d’Etobicoke, en Ontario, et Sam Cheverton, de Pointe-Claire, au Québec, ont terminé cinquième et septième dans la finale du 200m libre féminin. MacLean, âgée de 20 ans, a nagé en 1:57,20 et Cheverton 1:57,79, deux records personnels pour les olympiennes de 2012.

 

Plusieurs demi-finales ont aussi eu lieu jeudi. Deux Canadiennes se sont qualifiées pour la finale au 200m papillon féminin: Katerine Savard a été la deuxième plus rapide en demi-finale en 57,83, tandis que sa collègue aussi originaire de Pont-Rouge, au Québec, Audrey Lacroix, s’est classée septième en 58,69.

 

Tera Van Beilen, du Centre de haute performance – Vancouver, s’est qualifiée troisième pour la finale de vendredi au 50m brasse avec un temps en demi-finale de 30,74, un record personnel.

 

Russell Wood, de Calgary, est aussi passé en finale, décrochant la septième place au 100m dos masculin avec un record personnel de 54,45.

 

Pour obtenir les résultats complets visitez http://results.glasgow2014.com/dailyschedule.html