ISAAC COOPER STEPS DOWN FROM SWIMMING LEADERSHIP ROLE AFTER MISSING FINAL...

Isaac Cooper, an Australian gold medal-winning swimmer, has voluntarily stepped down from his team's athlete leadership group after missing the final night of competition at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Cooper was absent from both the concluding swimming event and the team's wrap-up meeting, according to Swimming Australia. He was reported to have been drinking in Glasgow whilst his teammates competed at the pool.

Swimming Australia stated that Cooper's absence was "in conflict with team expectations". The 22-year-old had previously been named to the leadership group ahead of the Games, which he described as a point of pride following a prior disciplinary matter. Four years earlier, Cooper had been sent home from a swim camp before the 2022 Commonwealth Games owing to "some wellbeing challenges, including the use of medication". During the Glasgow competition, Cooper withdrew from his 100m backstroke final after qualifying eighth and finished sixth in the 50m backstroke final. He did receive a gold medal as part of the 4x100 medley relay team.

Cooper's withdrawal from the leadership role concludes the Australian team's Commonwealth Games campaign on a difficult note, though the delegation achieved a record 37 gold medals overall. The swimmer remains scheduled to represent Australia at the Pan Pacific Championships in California later in August.