Isaac Cooper Steps Down From Dolphins Leadership Group After Drinking Incident

Australian swimmer Isaac Cooper has stepped down from the Dolphins’ athlete leadership group after missing the Commonwealth Games’ final night of competition and closing team meeting in Glasgow following a drinking session on August 4, 2026, though team officials confirmed he will remain eligible for the Pan Pacific Championships.

Glasgow Absence and Leadership Fallout at Tollcross International Swimming Centre

Cooper was out drinking when he was expected to support teammates at Glasgow’s Tollcross International Swimming Centre, according to reporting in Nine newspapers. The 22-year-old was also seen drinking at the Australian team hotel during the day.

Cooper was hauled in by team officials and spoken to by Australian head coach Rohan Taylor after failing to show up for the pool’s closing session or a mandatory team wrap-up meeting that evening according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. Other Australian team members expressed surprise at his absence, particularly because he had raced in a relay heat earlier that same day and held a newly appointed position within the athlete leadership group.

“Isaac has since voluntarily stood down from the team’s athlete leadership group.”

Swimming Australia statement

Ahead of the incident, Cooper qualified eighth-fastest for the 100m backstroke final but ultimately withdrew from the race. His final competitive action in Glasgow was swimming a heat in the men’s 4x100m medley relay, earning a gold medal after his teammates secured victory in the final as part of a record-breaking 37 gold-medal haul for Australia. He also finished sixth in the 50m backstroke final.

Rebuilding Trust and Weighing Past Disciplinary Action

The latest disciplinary setback arrives four years after Cooper was sent home from a training camp in France ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over what team officials characterized at the time as some wellbeing challenges, including the use of medication. In recent interviews, Cooper reflected on those past struggles, explaining that he had sought sleeping medication from a team doctor who prescribed a different compound with unfamiliar effects, leading him to share the medication with teammates.

Prior to the Glasgow incidents, head coach Rohan Taylor had expressed strong support for the backstroker’s personal growth and reintegration into the squad.

“He’s 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.”

Rohan Taylor, Australian head coach, via Stuff

Cooper acknowledged his surprise at earning a leadership role so quickly given his history, noting in an interview last month that he initially figured people would also be holding on to my past a little bit but felt grateful when that proved false.

Alcohol Policy Clarification and Pan Pacific Championships Status

While Swimming Australia penalized Cooper by accepting his removal from the leadership group, officials confirmed there is no rule precluding swimmers from consuming alcohol once their individual competition schedule concludes. Athletes were permitted to drink at the shared Australian headquarters, and the Australian Commonwealth Games team enforced neither explicit alcohol bans nor curfews.

Photo: smh.com.au

Three anonymous sources confirmed that Cooper was out drinking in Glasgow while teammates were competing, and also noted his absence from a training session the following day. Despite the breach of team expectations regarding closing-night attendance, swimming management decided against sending him home early.

Isaac Cooper celebrates winning the Men’s 50m Backstroke Final during the 2026 Australian Swimming Commonwealth Games, Pan — Photo: 1news

Cooper has already traveled with the Australian team to the United States and remains fully eligible to compete at the upcoming Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, which begin on August 12. However, Australian swimming officials will monitor him closely during his time in the United States.

Swimming Australia concluded its public remarks by noting that Swimming Australia will not be making any further comment on this issue and emphasizing that leadership is looking forward to watching Isaac compete at this month’s Pan Pacific Championships.