\n<\/p>\n
Cohoon moved from the club where he first started swimming aged five to join a programme that shared the pool with multiple Olympic and World champion Adam Peaty.<\/p>\n
Andi Manley, director of swimming at the university, says attitude and potential are traits that are sought and which Cohoon had in abundance.<\/p>\n
“Just looking at rankings or the times they are swimming tells you nothing about the person,” Manley said.<\/p>\n
“And Alex is a great example of that. When he came to us a few years ago he was relatively unknown – he wasn\u2019t a superstar coming in.<\/p>\n
“But the structure and the programme we have here allowed him to come in and be coached well, gave him extra access to training and a strength and conditioning coach and gave him the tools to get up that ladder.<\/p>\n
“It is a brilliant story. What Alex has done is absolutely monumental and we are so proud of his journey.”<\/p>\n
Within months of starting at Loughborough University, Cohoon was fast-tracked to the high performance team.<\/p>\n
Olympic qualification was the aim, with Los Angeles the realistic target in 2028.<\/p>\n
Paris was always the “really long shot”, Cohoon admits.<\/p>\n
A fourth-placed finish in the 100m freestyle at the British Swimming Championships in April – with a personal best time of 48.2 seconds – earned him a place on the relay team alongside the experienced trio of Matt Richards, Duncan Scott and Tom Dean.<\/p>\n
Ian Hume, swimming head coach at Loughborough, is accustomed to overseeing success in the pool with a stable of Olympians working under him.<\/p>\n
Twelve of the Team GB squad of 33 swimmers heading to the French capital train at Loughborough University.<\/p>\n
But Hume says seeing Cohoon grab a place in Paris was special.<\/p>\n
“That moment when Alex made the Olympics, and because he was an outsider – and not to belittle him, it was such a small chance – when he touched the wall and I saw fourth next to his name, I’ll remember that for the rest of my life,” Hume said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n