BELFAST CANOEIST AND AUSTRALIAN PARTNER AIM FOR LA 2028 OLYMPICS TOGETHER

Belfast canoe slalom athlete Jake Cochrane and his wife Georgina Cochrane, originally from Perth, Australia, are pursuing qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as a couple. Both compete in canoe slalom and met on the international circuit in 2019, when an Australian team physiotherapist from Galway introduced them at an Irish team event in Prague. Jake proposed to Georgina in Prague in 2023, and the couple married in Pau, France, the following year. Their qualification campaign begins this summer.

The pair first got to know each other while living in Pau and went on their first date during the 2021 World Cup week in Prague. Jake previously came close to representing Ireland at the Paris Games, losing out in an internal race-off for a single place in the C1 event. He had also considered himself an outside contender for the Tokyo Games in 2021. In recent years he has reached multiple World Cup finals, which he credits as a factor in sustaining his motivation to reach the Olympics.

Jake competes under the Irish flag whilst Georgina represents Australia, meaning the couple would qualify through separate national programmes. The Los Angeles Games are scheduled for 2028, giving both athletes approximately two years to secure their respective places. Jake has stated his results outside of major Games have improved consistently and that he remains motivated to reach the Olympic stage. The couple's shared training base in Pau positions them to pursue their individual qualification campaigns simultaneously.