Cousins competed at three Winter Olympics, nine World Championships, and nine European Championships during his career. He became the first Briton to land a triple Axel in competition at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. He was the British national champion for seven consecutive years before his streak was interrupted by Neil Wilson in the 1996–97 season. Cousins finished higher at the 1997 European Championships and was sent to the 1997 World Championships.