Speedo Western Canadian Championships: Ryan Cochrane, Amanda Reason Set Canadian Records During Prelims

EDMONTON, Canada, February 13. WITH a world record already set at the Russian Nationals this week, swimmers have made it known that they will not suffer from a Beijing Olympics hangover in 2009. A pair of Canadian swimmers shot down national short course records at the Speedo Western Canadian Championships held in Edmonton during prelims last night.

Ryan Cochrane clipped a 19-year-old Canadian record in the men's 800 free with a swift time of 7:46.17. That performance cleared the 7:47.07 set by Gary VanderMeulen back in February of 1990.

"I've been training the last few weeks with the goal to get that record," Cochrane told Swimming Canada. "I'm absolutely ecstatic to get this meet off to such a great start. I was surprised at how good I felt for the first half of the race and then surprised at how much I was hurting at the end."

Also during evening prelims, Amanda Reason, 15, snatched a 19-year-old record of her own with a 30.94 to lead qualifying in the women's 50 breast. The effort beat the former record set well before Reason was born when Keltie Duggan stopped the clock in 31.50 in March of 1990.

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