Oliver 'Olli' Hoare (born 29 January 1997)[1] is an Australian middle-distance runner who primarily competes in the 1500 metres. He notably won the 1500 m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in a Games record of 3:30.12.[2]

Oliver Hoare
Personal information
Born (1997-01-29) 29 January 1997 (age 27)
Sydney, Australia
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportAthletics
Event1500 metres
University teamWisconsin
ClubOn Athletics Club
Coached byDathan Ritzenhein
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Australia
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham 1500 m
World Cross Country Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Bathurst Mixed relay

Career

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Early years

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Hoare's grandfather, World War II veteran Sergeant Fred Hoare, was a member of his local athletics club, and the reason for his father's and Hoare's own love of athletics.[3]

His father Greg was a track runner and a dual world beach-running champion, and Hoare took up the same activities. Hoare won the U15 (2012) and U17 (2013) 2 km beach run at the Australian titles along with team medals in the swim and board races.[4] Hoare also swam at state level but then decided to concentrate on athletics.

Prep and university career

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In 2015, Hoare won the Australian U20 cross-country championship. He then left his local school and studied at Trinity Grammar School, which had a strong sports system. He was coached by Brad Woods. He also befriended Morgan McDonald from the neighbouring Newington College, who had a strong influence on his athletics career. McDonald was a four-time NCAA champion competing for the University of Wisconsin and Hoare followed him there.[4]

While competing collegiately for the University of Wisconsin, Hoare won the 1500 metres at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He also set the University of Wisconsin and Big Ten Conference records in indoor mile.[5]

After graduating, Hoare signed to run professionally under the newly formed On Athletics Club, sponsored by the running shoe company On.[6]

International prominence

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2021

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In February 2021 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Hoare set the Australian and Oceanian record for the indoor 1500 m with a time of 3:32.35, which was also the seventh fastest all-time indoor mark.[7][8]

At the postponed Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, Hoare competed in the 1500 m. He finished third in a heat (in 3:36.09), fourth in a semi-final (in 3:34.35) and 11th in the final (in 3:35.79), which was won by Jakob Ingebrigtsen from Norway.[9]

On 4 December 2021 at the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, Hoare broke the Australian and Oceanian indoor 5000 metres record by over 27 seconds with a time of 13:09.96.[10] Fellow On Athletics Club runner Geordie Beamish finished second in that race with a time of 13:12.53 to set the New Zealand indoor record.[11]

2022

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On his birthday, 29 January 2022, Hoare ran the men's Wanamaker Mile at the 114th Millrose Games in New York with a time of 3:50.83. The time took the Australian and Oceanian indoor mile record off Charlie Hunter, and placed Hoare as the 11th fastest indoor miler ever. He also became the first Australian to win the Wanamaker Mile in the race's 96-year history.[12]

On 16 June 2022 at the Bislett Games, Hoare set the Australian and Oceanian outdoor mile record with a time of 3:47.48, finishing just behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen.[13]

On 6 August 2022 at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, he won the 1500 m men's final, setting a personal best and a new Games record of 3:30.12, beating Olympic silver medallist and 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot (3:30.21) and 2022 world champion Jake Wightman (3:30.53).[2] Hoare became the first Australian to take the Commonwealth 1500 m or mile title since Herb Elliott in 1958.[14]

Although 2022 brought his greatest athletic success to date, Hoare later described the year as one of his worst personally. The then-25-year-old's struggles with anxiety and depression drove him to the brink of retiring from the sport. However, after receiving support from a therapist and his family, Hoare found his way back to his passion for running.[15]

2023

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In February 2023 at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, held in Australia, Hoare led a team in the mixed relay, alongside Jessica Hull, Stewart McSweyn and Abbey Caldwell, winning a bronze medal.[16]

On 15 June 2023 at the Bislett Games, Hoare set the Oceanian outdoor 1500 m record with a time of 3:29.41 to finish 7th.[17] In late July, Hoare disclosed that he had a small sports hernia and would not be competing in the 2023 World Athletics Championships or the remainder of the 2023 outdoor season.[18] As he came back from the injury, the first major one in his career, Hoare sustained another injury, a sacral stress reaction.[19]

2024

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In his third race since returning from injury, Hoare placed ninth in the Bowerman Mile at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic in a time of 3:49.11. Crucially, Hoare ran under the Olympic standard time, becoming the fourth Australian to do so during qualifying period.[20]

At July's London Diamond League, Hoare outlasted his competition to run a 3:49.03 season's best in the mile to win a Diamond League race for the first time.[21]

At the Olympic Games, Hoare failed to qualify for the semi-final from his initial heat. In his repechage heat, he was passed on the home straight and finished two places out of semi-final qualification.[22]

Competition record

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International competitions

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Representing   Australia
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 11th 1500 m 3:35.79
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 5th 1500 m i 3:34.36
World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 18th (sf) 1500 m 3:38.36
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st 1500 m 3:30.12
2023 World Cross Country Championships Bathurst, Australia 3rd Mixed relay 23:26
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 5th (repechage) 1500 m 3:34.00

National and NCAA titles

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References

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  1. ^ Olli Hoare at World Athletics
  2. ^ a b "Birmingham 2022 Results".
  3. ^ Shalala, Amanda (6 August 2022). "Euphoric Oliver Hoare produces scintillating surge to win Commonwealth Games 1,500m". ABC News. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Oliver Hoare". Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  5. ^ "2019 Men's Cross Country Roster - Olli Hoare". uwbadgers.com. University of Wisconsin. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Ollie Hoare in Hot Form in the U.S." Runnerstribe.com. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  7. ^ John Salvado (14 February 2021). "Australian runners smash records". 7news.com.au. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  8. ^ Reid, Andre (15 February 2021). "'Wow': Aussie runner stuns athletics in never-before-seen moment". au.sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Athletics - Men's 1500m results". BBC Sport.
  10. ^ "Hoare leads Aussies in early-season showings". Athletics Australia. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Athletics: New Zealand records set in Boston by former Whanganui athletes". Whanganui Chronicle. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Ollie Hoare smashes Australian indoor mile record in 96-year first". news.com.au. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Hoare breaks Oceanian mile record in Oslo". Yahoo Sports. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  14. ^ Kelsall, Christopher (6 August 2022). "Australian Oliver Hoare gold in 1500m over Wightman, Cheruiyot". Athletics Illustrated. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  15. ^ Maddocks, Tom. "BOlli Hoare was nearly driven to retire by anxiety and depression. Now the champion runner has an eye on the Paris Olympics". abc.net.au. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  16. ^ Moorhouse, Lachlan. "Bronzed Aussies Headline Success at Home World Athletics Cross Country Championships". www.athletics.com.au. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Aussie records tumble as Jessica Hull, Oliver Hoare shine in Europe". Wide World of Sports. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  18. ^ Gates, Zachary. "Grim injury forces Aussie gun Oliver Hoare to make 'hard decision' on verge of world championships". wwos.nine.com.au. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  19. ^ COFFEECLUB (9 November 2023). "NYC MARATHON RECAP, The Bowerman Saga Continues + Olli Update" (video). youtube.com.
  20. ^ "Olympic hopeful Jessica Hull smashes Australian 1500m record in Oregon". The Guardian. 25 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Nina Kennedy, Mackenzie Little and Oliver Hoare all win at the London Diamond League ahead of the Paris Olympics". abc.net.au. 20 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Men's 1500m Repechage Round Results". Olympics.
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