Australian Backstroker Isaac Cooper In Hot Water After Missing Final Night In Glasgow
Australian Olympian and world champion backstroker Isaac Cooper has voluntarily stood himself down from the Dolphins leadership group after missing the final session of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, as well as the team’s final team meeting.
In a statement issued to an Australian newspaper, Swimming Australia said: “Isaac did not attend the final night of the swimming competition or final team meeting in Glasgow which is in conflict with team expectations.
“Isaac has since voluntarily stood down from the team’s athlete leadership group.
“Swimming Australia will not be making any further comment on this issue. We look forward to watching Isaac compete at (this month’s) Pan Pacific Championships.”
The incident has put a dampener on the Dolphins record-breaking medal haul at their most successful Commonwealth Games ever, where they won 76 medals – 37 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze.
But the swimmer will not be sent home and has traveled to the United States with the Australian team and will compete in the Pan Pacs meet in Irvine, California on August 12. The incident comes four years after Cooper’s banishment from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over the “misuse of prescription medication” in the team’s staging camp.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Cooper had again found himself in trouble when he failed to show at Glasgow’s Tollcross International Swimming Centre last Wednesday. It has been a longstanding expectation that whether swimmers are racing or not, they must attend each session to cheer on their teammates.
The report claimed that Cooper was hauled in by team officials and spoken to by Australian head coach Rohan Taylor after failing to attend the final night and a wrap-up meeting.
“It is believed other Australian swimmers were surprised when Cooper was absent from both after having raced in a relay heat earlier that day and, more significantly, because he had recently been appointed to the team’s athlete leadership group,” the report said.
“Cooper swam a semifinal of the 100m backstroke on Tuesday evening and was the eighth-fastest qualifier into Wednesday’s final. However, after swimming in the heats of the men’s 4x100m medley relay, he withdrew from the 100m backstroke final on Wednesday evening and did not show up to the pool.
“Three sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said Cooper was out drinking in Glasgow while his teammates were competing.
“He was also seen drinking at Australia’s team headquarters, a shared space used by athletes from all sports.
“Cooper did not attend a training session the following day.
“There is no rule precluding swimmers from drinking alcohol once their competition is finished. Athletes were permitted to drink at Australian headquarters and the Australian Commonwealth Games team did not have alcohol restrictions or curfews placed on athletes.”
It comes after Taylor had revealed Cooper had really worked on what it means to have a positive impact on the team.
“I’ve got a really strong relationship with Isaac and I’m very proud of the young man he is,” said Taylor, who has been in the Sunshine Coast swimmer’s corner as he rebuilds his career.
Cooper also revealed he didn’t think he had any chance of becoming a leader because he was so young and inexperienced.
“I figured that people would also be holding onto my past a little bit but I was very grateful that wasn’t the case,” said Cooper.
In 2022, the two-time Olympic backstroke specialist believed he did not deserve to be sent back to Australia, but Taylor believed it was the right thing for him at the time.