SWIMMING: Australia's Cooper steps down from swim team leadership group

MELBOURNE – Former world champion Isaac Cooper has voluntarily stepped down from Australia's swim team leadership group after missing a team meeting and the final night of competition at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Swimming Australia announced on Tuesday.

Swimming Australia said Cooper failed to meet the team's expectations and chose to step down from the Athlete Leadership Group following the incident.

"We look forward to watching Isaac compete at this month's Pan Pacific Championships," the governing body said in a statement.

Although Cooper was not scheduled to compete on the final night of swimming in Glasgow, team officials expect all athletes to attend and support their teammates throughout the competition.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Cooper was out drinking in Glasgow on the final night of competition, citing sources familiar with the matter. Swimming Australia declined to comment on the report.

Cooper and his management did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

The 22-year-old's decision to step down comes four years after he was sent home from Australia's Commonwealth Games training camp in Birmingham because of the misuse of prescription medication and wellbeing issues.

Cooper helped Australia win the men's 4x100-meter medley relay gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He also captured the 50-meter backstroke title at the 2024 World Championships in Doha and won an Olympic bronze medal as part of Australia's mixed 4x100-meter medley relay team at the Tokyo Olympics. -Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Sonali Paul/Reuters