- Ollie Hoare faced severe online harassment during the Paris Olympics
- The 1500m runner indicates that the negative comments influenced his performance
- He regrets not deleting Instagram prior to the Olympics
Ollie Hoare, the middle distance runner, has disclosed the disturbing abuse he faced on social media during the Paris Olympics, admitting he should have removed Instagram before the event.
The Commonwealth gold medalist placed last in his 1500m heat and had another unsatisfactory performance in the subsequent round.
With his Olympic journey now at an end, he states that he felt the weight of online harassment following his heat.
‘That (heat) was a disastrous race, and I’ve been targeted on Instagram, so I ended up deleting it,’ he shared.
‘I probably should have deleted Instagram before arriving in the village, but I miss staying connected with my friends. It’s a convenient way to keep in touch when I’m away from home.
‘That was really difficult. I think that did have an impact on me; my sleep hasn’t been great.’
The athlete revealed he faced direct messages from online trolls, alongside cruel remarks on his posts.
‘Whenever I have a bad race or something goes awry, that kind of harassment could occur, and I need to just tell it to go away,’ he said.
Ollie Hoare has experienced social media abuse during the Paris Games
Hoare regrets not deleting Instagram before the Olympics
‘They don’t realize that I was struggling to walk in November; they don’t understand what many athletes endure. Sometimes you just have a good day, and other times you don’t.’
Ex-Aussie swimming champion James Magnussen expressed surprise that Hoare was active on social media before his race.
‘Here’s a suggestion: in the week leading up to your race, log out and let your manager handle social media. They can post updates and manage comments,’ Magnussen advised on the Matty & The Missile podcast.
‘To scroll through social media and read others’ comments, especially on the day of your race, is something that only inexperienced athletes would do.’
Hoare reported receiving direct messages from trolls
‘I’m really surprised this has happened here.’
In another Olympic result, Australian sprinter Bree Masters’ thrilling 100m journey concluded at the semi-final level, competing against a formidable field that included gold medalist Julien Alfred from St Lucia (10.84) and reigning world champion Sha’Carri Richardson (10.89).
Masters finished seventh in the semi-final with a time of 11.34, slightly slower than her performance in the initial rounds.
