Malcolm Douglas Cooper, MBE, (20 December 1947 – 9 June 2001) was a British sport shooter and founder of Accuracy International. Competing in ISSF 50metre and 300metre rifle events, he dominated his events for several years, becoming the first shooter to win the Olympic 50metre 3-Position rifle event twice. He held or shared 5 World Records in 300metre rifle events.
Cooper learned to shoot at school in the UK and New Zealand. He also shot and practised at HMS Collingwood, a Naval Training Establishment at Fareham in Hampshire, alongside Andy (Dusty) Miller, the 1968 Far East Services Small-bore Individual Champion. He qualified to join the British Free Rifle Club in 1969 and was selected for the British team to the 1972 Summer Olympics where he placed 12th in the 300 metre 3- Position Rifle event and 18th in the 50 metre 3-Position Rifle.[1]
In 1977, Cooper won the European Championships in both 50metre and 300metre Three-Position events, with his 300metre Standing score equalling the World Record.[1][2]
Having won most of his matches in 1980, the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott prevented Cooper from competing in Moscow, where he was a favourite to medal.[1]
Cooper won gold medals at the 1984 Summer OlympicsinLos Angeles and at the 1988 Summer OlympicsinSeoul (both in the three positions event).[4] The 1988 victory came despite his rifle being seriously damaged two days before the match. Working with the USSR armourer, he repaired the stock in time to compete.[5]
Between the Olympics, Cooper became World Champion at the 1982 World Shooting Championshipsin300 m Standard Rifle - by then a non-Olympic rifle discipline in which he claimed several European and World titles, as well as holding the World record for a period.
Cooper won twelve Commonwealth Games medals; four gold medals, five silver medals and three bronze medals and represented England at four Games from 1974 until 1990.[6][7][8][9][10]