Australian swimmer Isaac Cooper steps down from leadership after drinking at Commonwealth Games
Consensus Summary
Australian swimmer Isaac Cooper has stepped down from the Dolphins’ athlete leadership group after a drinking session during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he was expected to support teammates and attend the final night of competition and team meeting last Wednesday night. Cooper withdrew from the 100m backstroke final after qualifying eighth-fastest and was absent from key events, despite winning gold in the 4x100m medley relay heats and finishing sixth in the 50m backstroke. The incident follows his redemption after being sent home from a swim camp ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games for 'wellbeing challenges, including the use of medication,' and his subsequent rise to leadership. Cooper remains eligible to compete at the Pan Pacific Championships starting August 12 this month, though he will be monitored closely. While ABC reports he won silver at the 50m backstroke at the 2024 World Championships, Guardian and SMH confirm he won gold there, highlighting his status as a two-time Olympian and prominent swimmer.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Isaac Cooper stepped down from Australia's swimming team's athlete leadership group after a drinking session at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Cooper was absent from the final night of swimming competition and the final team meeting at Glasgow's Tollcross International Swimming Centre last Wednesday night
- Cooper withdrew from the 100m backstroke final after qualifying eighth-fastest at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Cooper won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games as a member of the 4x100m medley team (heats only)
- Cooper finished sixth in the 50m backstroke final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Cooper is set to compete at the Pan Pacific Championships starting August 12 this month
- Cooper was sent home from a swim camp ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games for 'wellbeing challenges, including the use of medication'
- Cooper has competed in two Olympics
- Cooper won gold at the 50m backstroke at the 2024 World Championships
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Cooper was seen drinking at the Australian team hotel during the day of the incident
- Cooper won silver at the 50m backstroke at the 2024 World Championships (ABC says silver, Guardian/SMH say gold)
- Cooper is 22 years old
- Cooper was used to promote the 2022 Commonwealth Games, including participating in the King’s Baton Relay at the Great Barrier Reef
- Cooper had spoken of his pride in being named to the leadership group after a major indiscretion four years ago (2022 Commonwealth Games)
- Cooper said after the 2022 sanction: 'more than anything I wish I could be there, racing with my team and cheering them on'
- Henry Allan finished fifth in the 50m backstroke, one hundredth of a second ahead of Cooper, and fifth in the 100m and 200m backstroke
- Cooper won gold at the 50m backstroke at the 2024 World Championships in Doha
- Cooper was hauled in by team officials and spoken to by Australian head coach Rohan Taylor after the incident
- Cooper was 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 (Thursday)
- Cooper was sent home in 2022 after giving teammates prescription medication
- Cooper said: 'I had gone to the team doctor to get some sleeping medication... I shared some of my medication with other teammates'
- Cooper believed he did not deserve to be sent back to Australia in 2022, but Taylor believed it was the right thing for him at the time
- Cooper said: 'I didn’t think I had any chance of becoming a leader because I was so young and inexperienced'
- Cooper said: 'I figured that people would also be holding on to my past a little bit but I was very grateful that wasn’t the case'
- Cooper was praised by Taylor: 'He’s grown up in himself... He’s really worked on what it means to have a positive impact on the team'
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC says Cooper won silver at the 50m backstroke at the 2024 World Championships, but Guardian and SMH say he won gold
- Guardian and SMH mention Cooper was sent home from a swim camp ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games for 'wellbeing challenges, including the use of medication,' but ABC does not mention this detail
- Guardian and SMH state Cooper was absent from the final night of competition at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but ABC refers to the event as the '2024 world championships' in one instance (likely a typo)
- SMH mentions Cooper was seen drinking at Australia’s team headquarters, a shared space used by athletes from all sports, while ABC and Guardian do not specify this location
Source Articles
Aussie swimmer out of leadership group after reported drinking session
Australian swimmer Isaac Cooper steps down from the Dolphins's leadership group after he was reportedly out drinking instead of supporting teammates at the Commonwealth Games.
Australian swimmer Isaac Cooper leaves leadership role after drinking session
Cooper misses final night of Commonwealth Games meet Relay gold medallist’s absence ‘in conflict with team expectations’ Gold medal-winning swimmer Isaac Cooper has stepped down from Australian swimming’s leadership group after a drinking session at the Commonwealth Games. The 22-year-old missed the final night of competition at Tollcross International Swimming Centre as well as the team’s wrap-up meeting. He was seen drinking in Glasgow while teammates were competing, according to a report in t
Australian swimmer loses leadership role after Glasgow drinking session
Isaac Cooper has stood down as a member of the Dolphins’ leadership team after missing the final night of competition at the Commonwealth Games following a drinking session in Glasgow.