Abbey Cooper
Abbey Cooper (née D'Agostino; born May 25, 1992) is an American middle- and long-distance runner. Cooper is the most decorated Ivy League athlete in track and field and cross country running. She is the first Dartmouth female distance runner to win an NCAA title. She won a total of seven NCAA titles (1 – cross country; 4 – indoor track; 2 – outdoor track) in her career. In 2014, she became a professional runner for New Balance.
Cooper at the 2016 Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Abbey D'Agostino |
| Born | May 25, 1992 Topsfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 2.5 in (159 cm) |
| Weight | 104 lb (47 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Event(s) | 5,000m, 10,000 m , Cross country running |
| College team | Dartmouth Big Green |
| Club | New Balance Boston |
| Turned pro | 2014 |
| Coached by | Chris Layne |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Highest world ranking | (52nd-2014) (25th-2015) (14th-2016) 5,000 meters |
| Personal best(s) | 800 m: 2:08.11 1500 m: 4:08.78 |
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she received considerable international media attention following an incident during a 5000m heat in which both she and New Zealander Nikki Hamblin fell. The two women helped each other finish the race and were allowed to compete in the final; however, Cooper had suffered a torn anterior crucial ligament and meniscus and wasn't able to participate further. Both athletes were praised for their sportsmanship and "Olympic spirit", and were subsequently awarded the Rio 2016 Fair Play Award by the International Fair Play Committee.