- Aussie athlete faced backlash after his 1500m heats
- Involved in the ‘Farken’ and ‘Hoare’ viral image
- He admits to struggling with self-confidence issues
Australian runner Olli Hoare has candidly shared how the pressure of the Paris Olympics has affected him, especially after encountering a wave of harsh criticism following his performance in the heats, coinciding with becoming a viral sensation.
At 27, Hoare faced disappointment in the 1500m, finishing third-last in his heat and failing to advance to the semi-finals after being eliminated in the repechage.
The internet buzzed with activity as Hoare raced alongside German competitor Robert Farken during the initial round of the 1500m.
Social media erupted with comments when fans noticed the amusing coincidence of Farken being next to Hoare on the bright purple track in Paris.
‘I can hear HG and ROY calling this race in my head right now, it Farken it’s Hoare, it’s Farken it’s Hoare, Farken Hoare, Farken Hoare it’s a dead heat,’ one user tweeted.
‘Nick Giannopolous would love to see Hoare leading Farken,’ another joked, referencing a popular Australian film.
‘The Olympics are just taking the p** now,’ a third added.
Olli Hoare’s singlet – coupled with that of competitor Robert Farken – set the internet alight during his 1500m heat. Hoare placed third-last and was disappointed with his performance
Hoare revealed overnight that he has deleted his social media accounts after his Instagram got ‘really bad’ after the heat. He was flooded with abuse, he said.
In a heartfelt interview, Hoare expressed how the negative comments he received prior to the repechage significantly affected his mental state leading into the race.
‘My Instagram has been really bad after that (the heat),’ the Commonwealth Games gold medallist admitted.
‘It was a terrible race, and I was subjected to abuse on Instagram, which led me to delete it.
‘I probably should have deleted Instagram before heading to the village, but I miss my friends. It’s an easy way to connect when you’re away from home.
‘It was tough. I think that impacted me a bit; I haven’t been sleeping well.’
The runner from Sydney disclosed that the hurtful remarks even extended to his partner.
‘When I have a bad race or if something goes awry, there’s always the possibility of that happening, and I just have to tell them to p*** off,’ he said.
‘They don’t realize that I couldn’t walk back in November and they have no idea about the struggles athletes go through—sometimes it’s their day, sometimes it isn’t.’
Hoare admitted to facing confidence challenges leading up to the event in France.
‘I just don’t feel confident, despite running two 3:31s (in 2024) and winning a Diamond League. I still lack confidence. I don’t know what’s going on.’
Gold medallists Daoyi Long of China and Zongyuan Wang of China also went viral because of the unfortunate pairing of their surnames, but they had the last laugh.
The divers’ names caused a social media stir with plenty giggling at the combination. The pair had the last laugh, winning gold.
Hoare and Farken’s encounter wasn’t the only instance of athletes sharing unfortunate name pairings during the Olympics.
Two Chinese divers got a lot of attention due to their surnames, Long and Wang, while competing as a team.
Interestingly, they ultimately triumphed, securing gold in the Men’s Synchronised 3m Springboard event.
In a remarkable turn of events in swimming, Canadian athlete Mary-Sophie Harvey was paired next to America’s Claire Weinstein in the lanes.
The infamous American producer Harvey Weinstein is a convicted sex offender, with his shady actions becoming public after decades as a distinguished figure in Hollywood.
Canadian swimming supporter Emma Sachs captured the sentiment of many when she tweeted: ‘Maybe it wasn’t a great idea to put USA and Canada next to one another here.’
