Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane joining Canadian bobsleigh program

Two-time Olympic swimming medallist Ryan Cochrane has announced he will move from the water to the ice, retiring from swimming to chase gold on the bobsleigh chute.

The Victoria, B.C., native, who won a silver medal for Swimming Canada in the 1,500-metre freestyle at the 2012 Olympics in London, hopes to continue his pursuit of gold in the Canada 1 bobsleigh at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Joining the program after Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton’s recent national recruitment drive, Cochrane plans to join Team Rush, led by the world’s top-ranked two-man pilot, Lyndon Rush, in his team’s quest to return to the Olympic four-man podium in Sochi.

“I have had a lot of great moments in the pool, but I feel the time is right to move on to a new challenge,” said Cochrane, who also won a bronze medal in the 1,500 at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. “I have always been attracted to winter sports and have admired bobsledders in particular. This is my chance to leave my mark on both the Summer and Winter Olympics.”

Cochrane was expected to be a top competitor at Swimming Canada’s upcoming World Championships Trials, which run from Wednesday through Saturday at Victoria’s Saanich Commonwealth Place. Canada’s best swimmers will race to represent the country at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona and Cochrane was a favourite in the 1,500, as well as the 400- and 800-metre freestyle events.

Instead, he will trade in his Speedo for a speed suit and spikes, to join his new winter sport World Cup comrades for a spring training camp at the Ice House in Calgary to officially begin his journey to the Winter Olympic podium.

“We’re ecstatic to add another high-profile summer-sport athlete into the mix of our program,” said Nathan Cicoria, high-performance director, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. “We have had great success drawing athletes from other sports and developing them into Olympic and World Champions in our sliding sports. If Ryan can learn how to perform in the cold, snow and on ice opposed to the comfy confines of a pool, there is no doubt he will succeed on our top team.”

Swimming Canada Interim CEO Ken Radford said Cochrane will be difficult to replace, but the team will move ahead.

“Ryan’s presence on the national team will certainly be missed. You don’t just find two-time Olympic medallists at any local pool. But if his heart is on the bobsleigh track, we have to respect that,” said Radford.

Cochrane said many factors influenced his decision.

“For one thing, everyone has been nagging me to wear a swim cap. Yeah it makes me faster, but sometimes it pulls my hair a little. It’s just not worth it,” Cochrane said. “And I don’t even really like getting wet to be honest.”

Cochrane says he has watched bobsleigh on TV “a couple of times” and expects the helmets will be much more comfortable than a swim cap.

“I’ve worn my friend’s motorcycle helmet and it’s much cushier. I’m definitely looking forward to that,” he said.

Although Cochrane has no bobsleigh experience, his competitive nature made him a force sliding down Victoria hills on both a Krazy Karpet and a GT Sno-racer as a young boy.

“I’m pretty sure I can pick it up,” Cochrane said. “It’s pretty much the same thing, right?”

This is an unedited press release.

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CraigH
10 years ago

I have it from a good source that this is definitely not an April Fool’s joke. Cochrane is apparently starting high-intensity training program designed to bolster fast-twitch muscle fibers and load on muscle mass and leg strength. He’ll need to put on roughly 15 kilos of muscle in order to become a world-class pusher. In doing so he’ll be making the same leap from summer Olympian to Winter Olympic bobsled pusher that track stars Herschel Walker and Edwin Moses made twenty years ago.

Danm133
10 years ago

If that’s what floats his boat…

Nicholas
10 years ago

Definitely an April Fool’s joke by Swimming Canada.

Rafael
Reply to  Nicholas
10 years ago

Don´t ruin the mood!

mcgillrocks
10 years ago

there goes humanities’ last chance for beating sun yang before 2016

Rafael
Reply to  mcgillrocks
10 years ago

Was ever a chanche of anyone beating Sun Yang?? Cochrane was the third Fastest Ever textile swimmer on 1500 and his swim looked like very slow compared to Yang.. The only way Sun can lose would be mostly because he didnt care do train for the race..

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Rafael
10 years ago

Raf, your pretty much a hater to anyone that goes against your Brazilian and Chinese obsession lol.

Rafael
Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Actually I have big simpathy for RSA Netherlands and now for Ruta also.. also for phelps and especially I had simpathy for Peirsol…. but I gotta admit I don´t like Locthe..

coacherik
10 years ago

Oh Mel…

SeattleSwimmer
10 years ago

….What? Is this an april fools joke?

Mac
Reply to  SeattleSwimmer
10 years ago

About Gold Medal Mel Stewart

Gold Medal Mel Stewart

MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, won three Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. Mel's best event was the 200 butterfly. He is a former World, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 200 butterfly. As a writer/producer and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, …

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