Jacqui Cooper
Encyclopedia
Jacqui Cooper is an Australian freestyle skier and motivational speaker
.
Cooper has been participating in aerial skiing since she was 16, and has been in the Australian team for 13 years. She has had many injuries, including a shattered knee and a broken back.
She competed at the 1994 Winter Olympics
and came 16th. Cooper participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics
. A crash in the qualifying round left her unable to compete.
At the Salt Lake Winter Games
in 2002, she was the favourite to win gold, being the three time world cup champion. Unfortunately, a training accident in the week before the games left her knee shattered. Teammate Alisa Camplin
went on to win gold for Australia.
Cooper made her comeback at the 2004 Mount Buller World Aerials, two and a half years after her Salt Lake accident. She won the silver behind fellow Australian, Lydia Lassila (née Ierodiaconou). After having a long time off competition, she performed double somersaults, rather than her trademark triples.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics
, Cooper entered the final as the favourite to win, having recorded a world record 213.56 in the qualification, however crash landings on both her jumps ended her chances.
Despite never winning an Olympic medal, Cooper arguably became the most successful women's aerial skier of all time after winning her fourth World Cup title in Apex, Canada.
Cooper was selected for the 2010 Winter Olympics, making her the first Australian woman to be on five Olympic teams, summer or winter. Jacqui finished 5th in the 2010 Olympic competition. Fellow Australian Lydia Lassila won the gold medal.
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
.
Cooper has been participating in aerial skiing since she was 16, and has been in the Australian team for 13 years. She has had many injuries, including a shattered knee and a broken back.
She competed at the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
and came 16th. Cooper participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. A crash in the qualifying round left her unable to compete.
At the Salt Lake Winter Games
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in 2002, she was the favourite to win gold, being the three time world cup champion. Unfortunately, a training accident in the week before the games left her knee shattered. Teammate Alisa Camplin
Alisa Camplin
Alisa Camplin OAM is an Australian aerial skier who won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the second ever winter olympic gold medal for Australia. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Camplin finished third, a bronze medal...
went on to win gold for Australia.
Cooper made her comeback at the 2004 Mount Buller World Aerials, two and a half years after her Salt Lake accident. She won the silver behind fellow Australian, Lydia Lassila (née Ierodiaconou). After having a long time off competition, she performed double somersaults, rather than her trademark triples.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics
Freestyle skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four freestyle skiing events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the venue in Sauze d'Oulx. There were both men's and women's competition in both aerials and moguls events...
, Cooper entered the final as the favourite to win, having recorded a world record 213.56 in the qualification, however crash landings on both her jumps ended her chances.
Despite never winning an Olympic medal, Cooper arguably became the most successful women's aerial skier of all time after winning her fourth World Cup title in Apex, Canada.
Cooper was selected for the 2010 Winter Olympics, making her the first Australian woman to be on five Olympic teams, summer or winter. Jacqui finished 5th in the 2010 Olympic competition. Fellow Australian Lydia Lassila won the gold medal.