Doha 2024, Day 7 Oceanian Recap: Isaac Cooper’s 50 Focus Success

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 11th – February 18th, 2024
• Doha, Qatar
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Official Entries
• Live Results
• How To Watch
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
• Day 6 Prelims Recap | Day 6 Finals Recap
• Day 7 Prelims Recap | Day 7 Finals Recap

Day seven of the 2024 World Championships saw an Oceanian Record bite the dust on the men’s side.

Racing in the semi-finals of the 50m backstroke, 20-year-old Isaac Cooper fired off a new lifetime best of 24.12. That claimed the top seed by a hefty margin, with the next-closest competitor represented by American Hunter Armstrong who clocked 24.43.

Finalists

1. Isaac Cooper (AUS) — 24.12
2. Hunter Armstrong (USA) — 24.43
3. Ksawery Masiuk (POL) / Pieter Coetzee (RSA) — 24.46
4. (tie)
5. Hugo Gonzalez (ESP) — 24.60
6. Michele Lamberti (ITA) — 24.68
7. Michael Andrew (USA) — 24.70
8. Ole Braunschweig (GER) — 24.74

For Cooper, the Australian’s 24.12 outing overwrote his previous Oceanian standard of 24.38 notched at the 2022 New South Wales State Championships. His much quicker result this evening now renders the St. Andrews swimmer the 7th-fastest performer in history.

Top 10 Men’s LCM 50 Backstroke Performers All-Time

1. Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 23.55 2023
2. Hunter Armstrong (USA) – 23.71, 2022
3. Justin Ress (USA) – 23.92, 2022
4. Shaine Casas (USA) – 24.00, 2022
5. Liam Tancock (GBR) – 24.04, 2009
6. Camille Lacourt (FRA) – 24.07, 2010
7. Robert Glinta (ROU) – 24.12, 2018 & Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 24.12, 2024
8. –
9. Mark Nikolaev (RUS) – 24.23, 2019
10. Junya Koga (JPN) – 24.24, 2009

Cooper’s performance was even more impressive when you factor in the laneline hugging he was doing For the majority of the one-lap sprint Cooper was markedly attached to the line and appeared to be stroking right up against it, although his time wasn’t negatively impacted.

Looking back, Cooper made his first Olympic team as a 17-year-old, traveling to Tokyo for the men’s 100m backstroke. At those 2020 Games, the Aussie wound up 12th in his debut with a time of 53.43. He did come away with a bronze as a member of the green and gold’s mixed medley relay.

He followed up with a mixed medley silver at the 2022 World Championships and reaped 5 medals at that year’s Short Course World Championships, including silver and bronze in the 50m and 100m back, respectively.

More recently, Cooper has been honing in on the 50m back and 50m free as his primary events, a strategy which agrees with him. Prior to the 50m back semi this evening in Doha he placed 5th in the 50m free, stopping the clock at 21.77, the 3rd-fastest performance of his career.

National/Continental Records Through Day 7:

• Australia
  • Men’s 50m breaststroke – Sam Williamson, 26.32 *Oceanian Record
  • Men’s 50m backstroke – Isaac Cooper, 24.12 *Oceanian Record
• New Zealand
  • Women’s 400m free – Erika Fairweather, 3:59.44
  • Women’s 4x200m free relay – 7:53.02

Medal Table (Oceania) Through Day 6: