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After sitting in the stands and training for the past seven days, four-time Paralympian Blake Cochrane finally gets his chance to compete at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Lining up in his pet breaststroke event, Cochrane is among a host of Dolphins who will take to the water in breaststroke events on Wednesday, with Jesse Aungles and Tiffany Thomas Kane also set to dive in.
Cochrane and Aungles will be the first to line up behind the blocks when they compete in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke (SB7). For Cochrane – a Paralympic Games gold medallist and Dolphin leader – this is his main event, in which he’s won one gold and two silver medals across three Games.
After swimming an impressive time of 1:17.26 at the Australian Swimming Trials, Cochrane is ranked second coming into the race.
Although this isn’t one of Aungles’ traditional events, he is also ranked in the top 10 and will be challenging himself to see how far he can progress. With no heat for this event, both men will head straight into the final.
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Paralympic champion in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke (SB6), Tiffany Thomas Kane will need to be at her best when she swims in her pet event. Since her win in Rio, Thomas Kane has moved to an SB7 but that hasn’t stopped the Sydneysider from achieving podium finishes.
The 20-year-old won gold at the 2019 World Para Championships and, after swimming a time of 1:33.72 in April, positions her within the top 10 fastest times of the year. Thomas Kane will no doubt give it her all for the green and gold when she takes to the competition pool.
Posting a scorching personal best of 2:15.25 in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley (SM9) at the Australian Swimming Trials, Tim Hodge will be one to watch on Wednesday. With a bronze medal already from the 100m backstroke (S9) on Monday, Hodge claimed bronze at the World Para Champs in a time more than two seconds slower than his new personal best. Carrying on his positive momentum, if Hodge can produce a time close to his PB, it will go a long way to securing him another podium finish.
After making his debut appearance earlier in the week and making the final in the 50m and 100m free events, Tom Gallagher will race in his favoured event, the Men’s 400m Freestyle (S10). At the Australian Swimming Trials he set a new Australian Record of 4:06.72, placing him second in the world Para-swimming rankings for this year and in contention to make another final.
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By: Danielle Balales, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 1 September, 2021
