Athletics: Michael Cochrane

Michael Cochrane (left)

Michael Cochrane:
Age: 23.
School: Bethlehem College.
Achievements: New Zealand record for 400m hurdles of 49.72; and placed 8th at last year's athletics world cup.
Goals: Rio Olympics next year and Commonwealth Games 2018.

Michael Cochrane says hurdling is known as "the man-killer event".

The former Bethlehem College student vomits after each race and rather than worrying about his form or time beforehand, it's the aftermath he gets nervous about while waiting on the track.

"You just worry about what shape you're going to be in after the race," he says. "It's a really tough event [but] I really enjoy the challenge of it."

Cochrane missed the qualifying time for last year's Glasgow Commonwealth Games by a disappointing 0.02 seconds, but managed eighth at the Continental Cup, the athletics world cup.

The 23-year-old also competed at the world juniors in 2010 and world university games in 2011, and is now eyeing next year's Olympics.

He must run 49.50 to qualify and says that even though the time is faster than his record, it is "definitely a do-able one" because he is yet to peak as a hurdler.

"Four hundred-metre hurdlers tend to peak in their late 20s or early 30s so I've still got a few years yet."

He would also like to tackle the 110m hurdles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, saying it is not on his agenda for Rio because it will take him longer to develop form for that event. When he can, he trains with two other Tauranga athletes and New Zealand's fastest sprinters, Joseph Millar and Kodi Harman - who featured in our series last week - to build his speed.

Hurdling has always come easy to Cochrane, who has been doing athletics since he was a toddler.

He belonged to Bellevue Athletics Club and started hurdling at age 13, surprising himself by beating others who were faster in sprint events.

"I was just naturally quick over the hurdles. I had that technical aspect."

Cochrane now trains in Auckland, where he lives with his wife Beth, and follows a rigorous schedule involving sessions on the track and in the gym six days a week.

He is also doing papers in biology and ecology at Massey University, and is competing in Australia this weekend after missing last weekend's New Zealand championships due to a lingering virus.

Although he is not confident of breaking his record across the Tasman, he says he is happy with his form.

"Who knows? I could surprise myself after having a big rest," he says.