GLASGOW -- Ryan Cochrane said before the Commonwealth Games it would be difficult to repeat his double-gold performance of four years ago. The Canadian swimmer is already halfway there. Cochrane powered past Australias David McKeon on the final lap Thursday to win the mens 400-metre freestyle for Canadas first gold medal on the first day of competition at the Games. The 25-year-old from Victoria broke his own Canadian record set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by catching McKeon with just 25 metres to go. "I could tell I was reeling him in, but you also dont know where everyone is in the pool," said Cochrane. "You have to pick your battles of where you look. There were some many great guys in that final that I was just happy to touch first." Cochrane won with a time of three minutes 43.46 seconds for the fastest time so far in 2014, but said it wasnt his plan to allow McKeon -- who wound up 0.63 seconds back -- to get so far ahead. The Australian jumped out to a big lead that he still held with 100 metres to go before Cochrane put things into overdrive. "I went out hard, and he went out a little harder," said Cochrane. "What worked for me was that it was hard but it was smooth. In the past Ive got excited and it hasnt really helped me, where this time I worked on my strengths and I think that really carried me through the entire race." Canada also picked up a bronze medal in the pool on Thursday with Montreals Victoria Poon, Alyson Ackman and Sandrine Mainville and Torontos Michelle Williams finishing third in the womens 4x100-metre freestyle. Canada won four total medals after Kirsten Sweetland -- who grew up with Cochrane in Victoria -- opened the day with a silver in triathlon and the Canadian women won gold in the rhythmic gymnastics team event. Canada stood fourth in the medal standings while England took the early lead with 17 total medals, including six gold. A two-time Olympic medallist, Cochrane won gold in both the 400- and 1,500-metre freestyle at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and is off to a great start in Scotland. "Its stressful swimming first day, almost first event, but its exciting to get a race done and see how that sets you up from the rest of the meet," said Cochrane. "This was by far going to be the harder race, not to say the 1,500 will be easy, because it never is. "Those guys (in the 400 metres) have gone fast time and time again so Im happy I could do it when it counts." Cochrane added hes hoping the performance will be a springboard as he prepares for next summers Pan American Games in Toronto, and what will almost surely be his final Olympics in 2016. "I think getting the results here are fantastic and getting the podium and hearing our anthem is what we dream of," said Cochrane. "But also going best time and working off that ... when I hadnt got a best time year after year that was a bit difficult. "I can build off that the next few years." Cochrane has been trying out new training methods this year and said he finally saw the results he was hoping for on a big stage. "You always have to focus year after year on what your strengths are," he said. "I think that race was something that, start to finish, was definitely one where I focused on what I do well instead of what other people do well. "A lot of time I touch the wall and Im happy with the result, but I can think of five things that I did wrong. Youre always focusing on the next event. This time I was just so ecstatic to go best time and it was a swim I was really proud of." Later Thursday, Australia set a world record with a time of 3:30.98 in the womens 4x100-metre freestyle, followed by England (3:35.72) and Canada (3:40.00). Poon said the Canadian swimmers were inspired by Cochranes performance. "For sure its a positive motivation for us," said Poon. "He won in the last 25 metres -- I mean, come on. "Its just amazing to see him race and he gives us a really good vibe." Englands James Guy (3:44.58) was third behind Cochrane in a raucous Tollcross International Swimming Centre that cheered on Scotlands first two gold medals on home soil. Hannah Miley won the womens 400-metre individual medley with a time of 4:31.76, powering away in the final 50 metres to set a Commonwealth Games record ahead of Englands Aimee Willmott (4:33.01) and Australias Keryn McMaster (4:36.35). Ross Murdoch (2:07.30) and Michael Jamieson (2:08.40) then gave Scotland a 1-2 finish in the mens 200-metre backstroke, with Englands Andrew Willis (2:09.87) taking the bronze. Cochrane said the atmosphere was electric for all the athletes, not just the hosts. "For 5,000 people it felt like 20,000 people. Theyre just really excited," he said. "The most important thing as an athlete is you can focus you own race (but) that excitement factor is something on top of what you can do and I really felt it tonight." Gymnast Maria Kitkarska of Montreal also felt the power of the crowd as she helped her team, which also included Annabelle Kovacs of Vancouver and Patricia Bezzoubenko of Thornhill, Ont., to gold. "We never competed in such a full house and the cheering was amazing and pumping us up for our routines," she said. Ottawa native Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson was the top Canadian in the womens 400-metre individual medley behind Miley, followed by Vancouvers Emily Overholt in fifth and Marni Oldershaw of Oakville, Ont., in sixth. Torontos Brittany MacLean finished fifth in the womens 200-metre freestyle, while Samantha Cheverton of Pointe-Claire, Que., was seventh. MacLean was pleased with her race, but was thrilled for Cochrane. "Oh my gosh that was so exciting," said the 20-year-old. "Hes just as good a teammate as he is in the water. He really has been a leader on this team." Oakvilles Tera van Beilan finished second in her semifinal of the womens 50-metre breaststroke to advance, Katerine Savard and Audrey Lacroix of Pont-Rouge, Que., qualified for the womens 100-metre butterfly final and Calgarys Russell Wood made the final of the mens 100-metre backstroke. Cochrane, meanwhile, is set to compete in the 200-metre freestyle on Friday before he defends his 1,500-metre title on Tuesday. "The 200 will be exciting. It will be a splash and dash," he said. "Its (a short distance) for me, but Ill take what I learned tonight and hopefully I will be that much faster in the morning." NMD XR1 Australia . "We were left with the overall impression that the team wasnt trending toward being able to compete for a Stanley Cup," Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said in a news conference at the clubs arena. "And that was just a clear signal and why it was time to make those changes. Superstar Shoes Australia . Her return engagement begins tonight as TSN presents Day 1 coverage of the 2015 event from Melbourne. Watch Eugenie Bouchards opening round match at the Australian Open live tonight on TSN5 at 3am et/Midnight pt. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/nmd-r1-shoes-australia.html. -- Terrelle Pryor took the opening snap of the game, put the ball in Darren McFaddens belly and saw LaMarr Woodley crash down. Adidas Superstar Sale Australia . The Professional Referee Organization, which manages game officials for the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS, notified the Professional Soccer Referee Association of the lockout and said replacement officials will be used. Adidas Superstar Black Australia . HEROES Alex Ovechkin – Scored a pair of goals in Washington’s 4-0 win over Pittsburgh. With 13 goals in the past 13 games, Ovechkin now has 29 goals on the season to lead the league.PARIS - Substitute Mario Lemina and France striker Andre-Pierre Gignac scored late in the second half as Marseille beat Guingamp 2-1 for its first win in a month while Paris Saint-Germain again struggled for inspiration in a scrappy 4-2 defeat of bottom side Evian on Sunday in the French league.After starting the new year with back to back defeats and being knocked off the top of the standings by Lyon, Marseille was made to work by a spirited and well-organized Guingamp team before Lemina headed home from close range six minutes from time to put the hosts in front.Gignac then extended Marseilles lead from Dimitri Payets pinpointed free kick five minutes later with another header into the side netting that left goalkeeper Jonas Lossl stranded. Claudio Beauvue pulled one back from the penalty spot by sending Steve Mandanda the wrong way after Rod Fanni was sent off in added time.Marseille moved within one point of Lyon while PSGs win lifted the defending champions to third in the standings — four points behind the leaders — after fourth-place Saint-Etienne remained unbeaten in 12 league games but was held to a goalless draw at Rennes.Since the start of the year we have been somewhat too complacent. We spoke a lot during this week and we felt some improvement in our game, Payet said. Well find our confidence back with victories like this one.After claiming just one point in its three previous matches, under-fire PSG coach Laurent Blanc needed a convincing win to erase the memory of a painful 4-2 loss in Bastia last weekend when his players threw away a 2-0 lead.But his side was caught cold at the Parc des Princes, going behind in the 14th minute when Adrien Thomassons glanced header found Cedric Barbosa, who fired home with a half-volley.Evian goalkeeper Benjamin Leroy then denied PSGs handful of half chances and Blancs players relieed on set pieces to turn things around.dddddddddddde let our opponents hurt us before we reacted, said the PSG coach, before casting doubt on his future at the club. I dont know if I be PSG coach at the end of the season. But I have the feeling that we are improving. Its been a while since we scored so many goals and created so many chances at the Parc. Our problem is that we played such beautiful football last year. Everyone expects us to be the same this year.David Luiz got the better of Barbosa and levelled at the half-hour mark from a corner with a powerful header that Leroy could only divert into his own net.Marco Verratti then scored his first goal for the club eight minutes later after Evian defenders failed to clear a long free kick. First at the ball, Zlatan Ibrahimovic could not beat his marker but Verratti made no mistake from the rebound.As PSG fans started to relax, Gregory van der Wiels comical own goal silenced the home crowd and brought the 18th-ranked visitors back into the game in the 64th minute, with the defender beating keeper Salvatore Sirigu from close range with a mishit header while under no pressure.Javier Pastore concluded a neat collective move with a precise volley for only his second goal this season to restore the hosts lead and substitute Edinson Cavani sealed PSGs win two minutes from time.Cavani, who was jeered by PSG fans when he came on, and Ezequiel Lavezzi were brought back into Blancs squad this weekend after the South Americans were sanctioned for failing to show up at a training camp during the Christmas break. Lavezzi also came on as a substitute in the 79th.PSG played its first home match since the deadly assault on Charlie Hebdo magazines Paris office by Islamic extremists who killed 12 people. Fans paid a tribute to the victims with a minute of applause before kick-off. ' ' '