Australian swimmer Isaac Cooper is “pretty low” after being kicked out of the Commonwealth Games but says he did not take any banned substances. The Australian backstroke champion was sent home from a swimming camp ahead of the Games in France this week for reasons Swimming Australia said related to “some wellness challenges, including medication use”.
“My drug abuse was not banned substances,” Cooper said in an Instagram post. “Ultimately, it was my well-being and mental health that brought me home.
“It was hard to accept in myself that I needed to address my mental health, but I think it’s an ever-present problem in every community, including that of a professional athlete. “I’m grateful to Swimming Australia for helping to identify an issue and offer your support and resources to help me.”
Cooper was sent home from the Australian swimming team’s camp in Chartres before arriving in Birmingham this weekend for the Commonwealth Games which start on July 28. The 18-year-old had been favored to win gold medals in the 50m and 100m backstroke events – he is the Commonwealth’s highest-ranked swimmer in both events.
“I have had to undergo a lot of self-reflection and examination,” he wrote. “The decision made to send me home was based on my behavior and mental health and was made in my best interests and that of the team competing at the Commonwealth Games.”
The specific medication Cooper allegedly used has not been disclosed, but the swimmer said there were “two sides to the story.”
“More than anything I wish I could be there, run with my team and cheer them on,” he wrote. “The team means a lot to me and I have made friends for life, but the decision was not made in the interest of the next few weeks, but in the interest of the future of my swimming career.
“Over the next few weeks I will be reflecting and resetting the future. I will use this time of reflection to also examine current issues. There are always two sides to a story and I will continue to work positively and confidentially with Swimming Australia.”