Born in Richton, Mississippi, as the ninth of ten children to a sportive family. Cochran played football and was an one-man track team in the high school. Cochran wanted to go to Tulane University with a football scholarship, but was persuaded by his older brother Commodore, who won a gold medal at 1924 Summer Olympics in 4x400 mrelay, to go to University of Indiana with a track scholarship. Commodore later became also his coach.
After winning the AAU championships in 400 m hurdles in 1939, Cochran was selected to the 1940 US Olympic team to run 400 m flat, 400 m hurdles and 4x400 m relay race. But when the 1940 Summer Olympics were cancelled due to the World War II, Cochran entered the V-7 Navy officer training course in 1942, and went to Miami for training in the Navy's Sub Chaser Training School. He served in the Pacific during the war and attended the University of Southern California in pursuit of graduate degrees in physiology after the war.
Cochran took up athletics again at Southern Cal and won his second AAU title in 400 m hurdles in 1948, thus qualifying to the Olympics. In the Olympic final Duncan White from Ceylon went off at a terrific pace, but by half distance Cochran was ahead. He won by a huge margin, beating second-placed White by 0.7 seconds. Cochran won his second gold medal as he ran the third leg of the 4x400 m relay for the winning USA team.
Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 400 m hurdles
1976 United States Herman Frazier, Benjamin Brown, Fred Newhouse, Maxie Parks 1980 Soviet Union Remigijus Valiulis, Mikhail Linge, Nikolay Chernetsky, Viktor Markin 1984 United States Sunder Nix, Ray Armstead, Alonzo Babers, Antonio McKay 1988 United States Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Robinzine, Butch Reynolds 1992 United States Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis 1996 United States LaMont Smith, Alvin Harrison, Derek Mills, Anthuan Maybank 2000 United States Alvin Harrison, Antonio Pettigrew, Calvin Harrison, Michael Johnson 2004 United StatesOtis Harris, Derrick Brew, Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson
Cochran played football and was a one-man track team in the high school.
Cochran wanted to go to Tulane University with a football scholarship, but was persuaded by his older brother Commodore, who won a gold medal at 1924 Summer Olympics in 4x400 mrelay, to go to Indiana University Bloomington with a track scholarship.
Cochran took up athletics again at Southern Cal and won his second AAU title in 400 m hurdles in 1948, thus qualifying to the Olympics.