Malcolm Cooper
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Malcolm Douglas•Cooper |
| Used name | Malcolm•Cooper |
| Born | 20 December 1947 in Camberley, England (GBR) |
| Died | 9 June 2001 in Eastergate, England (GBR) |
| Measurements | 170 cm / 76 kg |
| Affiliations | Havant Rifle and Pistol Club, Havant (GBR) |
| NOC |  Great Britain |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 2 |
| Silver | 0 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 2 |
Biography
Malcolm Cooper first took up shooting as a 14-year-old in New Zealand, where his father was stationed as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He soon earned a place in the Auckland City team and when he returned to New England, after three years in New Zealand, he immediately established himself as a marksman of county standard. From then on Cooper progressed steadily to become the finest small-bore rifle shot in the world.
After placing 18th at both the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, Cooper missed the 1980 Games in Moscow because of the boycott by the British shooting team but in 1984 he won the gold medal by ten clear points. He repeated his victory at Seoul in 1988 although this time he only had one point to spare over his teammate Alister Allan. Apart from his two Olympic gold medals, Cooper established himself as the best in the world with numerous wins at the World and European championships.
Possibly the outstanding performances came from the 1985 European championships when he won all five individual titles and at the 1986 World Championships when he set five world records. In all, Cooper has set 17 world records and shooting is now his full time occupation. His wife, Sarah, was also a member of the Olympic shooting team in 1988 and together they ran a shooting supplies business in Hayling Island, Accuracy International. An MBE recipient, Cooper died of cancer at age 54.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 Summer Olympics | Shooting | GBR |
Malcolm Cooper | |||
| Free Rifle, Three Positions, 300 metres, Open (Olympic) | 12 | |||||
| Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres, Open (Olympic) | 18 | |||||
| 1976 Summer Olympics | Shooting | GBR |
Malcolm Cooper | |||
| Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres, Open (Olympic) | =18 | |||||
| 1984 Summer Olympics | Shooting | GBR |
Malcolm Cooper | |||
| Air Rifle, 10 metres, Men (Olympic) | =15 | |||||
| Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 1988 Summer Olympics | Shooting | GBR |
Malcolm Cooper | |||
| Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| Small-Bore Rifle, Prone, 50 metres, Men (Olympic) | =36 |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Summer Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | GBR |
Malcolm Cooper |
Olympic family relations
- Husband of Sarah Cooper
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the British Empire/Commonwealth Games (4–5–3 1982 Brisbane SHO gold: 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions/pairs and 50 m small-bore rifle prone/pairs, silver: 10 m air rifle/pairs, 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions, and 50 m small-bore rifle prone, bronze: 10 m air rifle (competed for England); 1986 Edinburgh SHO gold: 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions and 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions/pairs, bronze: 10 m air rifle and 10 m air rifle/pairs (competed for England); 1990 Auckland SHO silver: 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions and 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions/pairs (competed for England))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Shooting Championships (9–5–7 1978 Seoul gold: 300 m free rifle standing and 50 m small-bore rifle kneeling team, silver: 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions, bronze: 300 m standard rifle 3 positions; 1979 Seoul bronze: 10 m air rifle team; 1982 Caracas gold: 50 m small-bore rifle keeling team, silver: 300 m free rifle prone and 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions team, bronze: 300 m free rifle 3 positions, 300 m free rifle kneeling, and 50 m small-bore rifle standing team; 1986 Skövde gold: 300 m free rifle prone (40 shots), 300 m free rifle prone (60 shots), 300 m free rifle standing, and 300 m standard rifle 3 positions, silver: 300 m free rifle 3 positions; 1986 Suhl silver: 50 m small-bore rifle 3 positions; 1990 Moskva gold: 300 m free rifle 3 positions and 300 m free rifle kneeling, bronze: 300 m standard rifle 3 positions and 300 m free rifle prone team)