COOPER, MALCOLM

born Dec. 20, 1947, Camberley, Surrey, Eng. English shooter who, in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, became the first Olympic competitor from his country to win a gold medal for rifle shooting since the 1908 Games in London. Cooper earned his medal in the small-bore rifle (three positions) event. When he repeated at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, he became the first athlete to win consecutive gold medals in that event. Malcolm Cooper shot competitively from 1970 through 1991. During that time he won over 160 international medals, among them 13 European titles and 8 world titles. His proficiency helped lift the British shooting team to the top ranks of international competition in the 1970s and '80s. Cooper's achievements are especially noteworthy in that, while his Eastern Bloc and American opponents were generously sponsored, he was forced to work full-time to support both himself and his shooting avocation.