Marcus Cooper (canoeist)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Cooper and the second or maternal family name is Walz.

Marcus Cooper Walz (born 3 October 1994) is a sprint canoeist. Born in England, he has competed internationally for Spain since the early 2010s. He won the gold medal in the K-1 1000 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.^[2] He won the silver medal in the Men's K-4 500 metres event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo with Saúl Craviotto, Carlos Arévalo and Rodrigo Germade.

Marcus Cooper

Walz (lane 5) in 2014
Personal information
Birth name	Marcus Cooper Walz
Nationality	British (former) Spanish (current)
Born	(1994-10-03) 3 October 1994 (age 30)[1] Oxford, England[1]
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
Country	Spain
Sport	Sprint kayak
Club	Reial Club Nàutic Portopetro
Medal record Men's sprint kayak Representing  Spain Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-1 1000 m 2020 Tokyo K-4 500 m 2024 Paris K-4 500 m World Championships 2017 Račice K-2 500 m 2021 Copenhagen K-2 500 m 2022 Dartmouth K-4 500 m 2015 Milan K-2 500 m 2017 Račice K-4 500 m 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 500 m 2019 Szeged K-4 500 m 2014 Moscow K-1 500 m European Games 2023 Kraków-Małopolska K-4 500 m European Championships 2017 Plovdiv K-4 1000 m 2018 Belgrade K-4 500 m 2018 Belgrade K-2 500 m Mediterranean Games 2018 Tarragona K-2 500 m

Born in Oxford to English parents, the family established in Mallorca when Cooper was 3 months old.^[3] Walz became a Spanish national in 2015.^[4] On 26 June 2024, the Spanish Olympic Committee selected Cooper, together with the Olympic boat driver Támara Echegoyen, as the flag bearers for París 2024.^[5][6]

Cooper competed as Marcus Walz until 2022.^[7]