Who’s Who in 2022, Sport: Blake Cochrane

Blake Cochrane finished his 16-year international swimming career with a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.

It took his distinguished career tally to 16 from the Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Cochrane, who won gold in the SB8 100m breaststroke in Glasgow 2014, started his final race well and was second after 25m.

Though the former Southern Cross student slipped back one place, he was never threatened for bronze, stopping the clock at 1 minute 18.97 seconds.

Fittingly the first member of Australia’s team to embrace Cochrane on his lap of honour following the medal ceremony was Brenden Hall, of Mango Hill, who started his international career with Cochrane at Beijing in 2008.

About Blake Cochrane

Blake Cochrane, a former Southern Cross student, put the sporting world on notice at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

His first international medal – silver in the SB7 100m breaststroke – set the platform for a 16-year career which finished this year with Commonwealth Games bronze.

That took his tally to four gold, five silver and seven bronze medals from the Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Cochrane, now 31 and based on the Sunshine Coast, was born with limb deficiencies and took up swimming to help his asthma.

By 16 he was swimming competitively and within months was selected by Swimming Australia for the 2007 Arafura Games in Darwin.

Just over a year later he was on the podium in Beijing having won silver in the SB7 100m breaststroke and in 2009 two gold and a silver at the World Short Course Championships.

Cochrane’s medal-laden career has seen him become the first Australian Para-swimmer to compete at four Commonwealth Games.

He won five medals across freestyle, individual medley and breaststroke at the Delhi 2010 (bronze), Glasgow 2014 (bronze), Gold Coast 2018 Games (silver and bronze) and Birmingham 2022.

Add to that two gold medals at the 2012 London Paralympics, silver at the 2008 Beijing and 2016 Rio Paralympics, as well as silver and bronze in 2020 at Tokyo.

And World Championship golds at Eindhoven 2010 and Montreal 2013, silver and bronze at Glasgow 2015 and bronze on the Gold Coast 2018.

There were also world records, notably in 2012 at the Australian Nationals when he swam the fastest SB8 100m breaststroke in the final and 2013 World Championships SB7 100m breaststroke.

Just before the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Cochrane took key roles in the run to the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics in Brisbane.

He is on four advisory panels - the Moreton Bay Olympic Legacy Group, Sunshine Coast Community Reference Group, a 2032 Olympic Task Force Ambassador and on the Paralympic Australia Athletes Commission.