Records keep tumbling for hard-working Cooper

What is better than being the first across the finish line? Breaking a record in the same race − that’s what.

Cooper Anderton knows the feeling, having smashed a long list of records in recent times.

During the 2017/2018 athletics season, the teenage track star tallied 11 records, won 18 medals and three trophies in junior race walking, running and hurdles events.

His most recent achievements include placing fifth in the under-17 5km walk at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Sydney last month, and claiming the records for the under-16 200m and 400m run events at Bunbury Little Athletics in February.

Other notable feats include winning a gold medal in the 1500m walk at an international junior athletics competition in Malaysia back in July.

With such stellar results, it is little wonder the 15-year-old from Australind was this month selected into the Target Talent Program.

The program incorporates training clinics run by Athletics WA and education workshops jointly delivered by WAIS and Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Interests.

The Australind Senior High School student said he was proud his hard work over the season had paid off, with the help received through the South West Academy of Sport’s Individual Athlete Support Program assisting him to shave crucial seconds off his times.

“Throughout the whole week, I do a lot of training, a lot of competitions so I can stay in race performance longer,” Anderton said.