Bob Cochran (skier)

Robert Bruce "Bob" Cochran, M.D. (born December 11, 1951) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from the United States.

Bob Cochran
Alpine skier
DisciplinesDownhill, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combined
ClubUniversity of Vermont
Full nameRobert Bruce Cochran
Born (1951-12-11) December 11, 1951
Claremont, New Hampshire, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
World Cup debutDecember 1969 (age 18)
RetiredMarch 1974 (age 22)
Olympics
Teams1 – (1972)
Medals0
World Championships
Teams3 – (1970, 1972, 1974)
      includes Olympics
Medals0
World Cup
Seasons5 – (1970–74)
Wins1 - (1 GS)
Podiums4 – (1 DH, 1 GS, 2 SL)
Overall titles0 – (8th in 1973)
Discipline titles0 – (9th in SL, 1973)

Born in Claremont, New Hampshire, Cochran was a member of the Skiing Cochrans family of Richmond, Vermont.[1][2] He had one World Cup victory, four podiums, and 21 top ten finishes. His best finish in the World Cup season standings was in 1973: eighth overall and ninth in slalom. Cochran also won the combined event at Kitzbühel, Austria, the first win in that event by an American,[3] although not an official World Cup race at the time. His sole World Cup win was in giant slalom, which he considered his weakest event.[4] That win was the first by an American male in a World Cup giant slalom.[5] It was Cochran's only top ten result in giant slalom, his other twenty were evenly split between downhill and slalom.

At the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan, Cochran finished eighth in the downhill and 17th in the giant slalom, but fell in the slalom.[6] At the World Championships, he placed 14th in the downhill in 1974 in Switzerland, but fell in both the giant slalom and slalom.[7][8] He was 26th in the downhill in 1970 in Italy.[9]

Cochran last competed in World Cup in 1974, raced the pro tour[5][10] in North America for several years,[11][12] then studied medicine at the University of Vermont in Burlington. He graduated in 1981 and became a family practice physician in New Hampshire. His son Jimmy (b. 1981) was also a World Cup racer.

Cochran was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2010, joining older sisters Marilyn (1978) and Barbara (1976). He is also a member of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame with his siblings Marilyn, a fellow 2014 inductee, and Barbara, inducted in 2013.

World Cup results

Season standings
SeasonAgeOverallSlalomGiant
Slalom		Super GDownhillCombined
1970183320—not
run		22not
run
19711950——23
1972202911—17
197321891110
1974222613—19

Points were only awarded for top ten finishes (see scoring system).

Race podiums
  • 1 win – (1 GS)
  • 4 podiums – (1 DH, 1 GS, 2 SL), and 21 top tens - (10 DH, 1 GS, 10 SL)
SeasonDateLocationDisciplinePlace
197223 Jan 1972 Wengen, SwitzerlandSlalom3rd
197327 Jan 1973 Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill3rd
23 Mar 1973 Heavenly Valley, USASlalom2nd
24 Mar 1973Giant Slalom1st

Cochran's win in the combined at Kitzbühel in 1973 is omitted because it was not
an official World Cup race until two years later. He finished 23rd in the slalom portion to win.[3]

See also

References
  1. Jacomini, Enrico (December 19, 1972). "Bob Cochran making mark on U.S. team". Nashua (NH) Telegraph. Associated Press. p. 21.
  2. Pennington, Bill (January 23, 2013). "Short hillside's long legacy". New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  3. "American wins top ski title". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 29, 1973. p. 26.
  4. Medeiros, Robert (December 29, 1972). "Bob Cochran the Vermont ski star is Europe bound". Lewiston Evening Journal. Associated Press. p. 10.
  5. Langworthy, Dave (March 2, 1975). "Why American ski racers are different". Toledo Blade. Sunday magazine. p. 24.
  6. "Robert Cochran hits the snow..." Palm Beach Post. UPI photo. Feb 14, 1972. p. D4.
  7. "Cochran falls in world GS". Deseret News. UPI. February 6, 1974. p. D1.
  8. "Austria team wins in world ski event". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. UPI. February 11, 1974. p. 4C.
  9. Redmont, Dennis (February 16, 1970). "Kidd surprises even himself". Evening News. Newburgh, NY. Associated Press. p. 10B.
  10. "Skier Bob Cochran turns professional". Gettysburg (PA) Times. Associated Press. July 10, 1974. p. 16.
  11. Moss, Marv (Feb 23, 1976). "Odermatt upsets 'Dudu' in $30,000 pro slalom". Montreal Gazette. p. 21.
  12. "Ski Notes". The Hour. Norwalk, CT. February 24, 1977. p. 24.
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