Seattle Now "Super Cooper" speed skates from WA to the Olympic games
Feb 10, 2026
Cooper McLeod, an American long-track speed skater from Washington known as Super Cooper, is competing in his first Olympic Games in the 500m and 1000m. He describes his Washington skating roots, the qualifying moment that sent him to Italy, life in the Olympic Village, missing Beijing and how it shaped him, and his pre-race routines and who’s coming to cheer him on.
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Early Skating Roots And Training Path
- Cooper McLeod started roller skating at 10 months old and began ice skating at eight years old.
- He trained full-time in Salt Lake City from age 18 and built toward the Olympics after narrowly missing 2022.
Region Shapes Athlete Development
- McLeod links the Pacific Northwest's indoor culture and active lifestyle to producing strong skaters.
- He credits frequent indoor activity due to wet weather and an overall active community.
Near-Miss Fueled Growth
- McLeod missed the 2022 Olympic team by five hundredths of a second and used that failure to improve.
- He calls that near-miss the best thing that happened to him because it forced steady growth and reflection.