‘Jac is back’. That’s the assessment of aerial star Jacqui Cooper upon her arrival in Vancouver ahead of her start to competition at the Winter Olympic Games.

Cooper, who is appearing at her fifth Olympic Games has been training in Montreal for the past month in order to fine tune her preparation for her likely last shot at Olympic glory.

The 37-year-old can’t fault her preparation for the event and believes it has all worked out exactly to plan.

“I’m feeling really good actually, I know I’ve been a bit of a late bloomer this year but a year ago I sat down with my coach and mapped out a plan and I have to say I’m exactly where I want to be,” Cooper said.

Her tale is well told in the Australian sporting landscape, with five World Cup titles and 24 World Cup wins - more than anyone else in history - but the Olympic Games have often brought heartbreak.

Cooper is one of the sentimental stories of these Games, however she is not letting her quest for a medal sidetrack her preparation, and she hopes, her performance.

“Look there’s no doubt about it, that’s why (an Olympic medal) I’m here,” Cooper said.

“But to be honest the most important thing for me is to put in a performance that I can be proud of. If that gets me fourth and I miss a medal, well, so be it,” she added.

The conditions at Cypress Mountain, the venue for her aerial competition has been one of the most talked about issues of these Games, with variable snow, heavy rain and deep fog making conditions difficult both for those preparing and those in the midst of competition.

Cooper had her first look at the venue today and was impressed with what she saw.

“I actually thing the organizing committee have done a remarkable job and there’s no issues whatsoever as far as an athlete is concerned,” Cooper believes.

And despite the naysayers who are predicting that the weather will play havoc with the standard of competition in the aerials, Cooper suggests that’s total rubbish.

“The final of the Olympic Games is not the place to downgrade your jumps, no way,” she stated.

“It will be full steam ahead for me I can tell you – I don’t care if there is a hurricane, I won’t be changing my jumps because of the weather,” she added.

Jacqui Cooper has long been the face of the aerial programme in Australia – and with 4 Olympic Games already behind her, deservedly so.

It’s no surprise then that despite past disappointments on this stage she knows that something special in Vancouver could motivate young Australians for years to come.

“My great hope is that with a good performance here that Australian kids can look at me and say ‘that’s why I should never give up and keep trying to reach for the stars’.”

There’s no doubt that irrespective of her result in Vancouver, the story of Jacqui Cooper will serve as an inspiration for Australians for years to come.

A medal here will ensure that becomes forever..

Damian Kelly
AOC Vancouver