Aussies celebrate ‘legend’ Nicholas Hough after he knocks every hurdle in his Olympics semi-final

Viewers are far from upset with Nicholas Hough’s 110m hurdle performance in the semi-final on Wednesday, despite the athlete knocking every obstacle.

Nicholas Hough was lengths behind his competitors in the 110m men’s hurdle semi-final on Wednesday. Picture: 7 Plus

Aussie Olympic athlete Nicholas Hough has left viewers reeling after an awkward performance in the men’s 110m hurdle semi-final on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old shot off the starting block only to clip the first hurdle and proceed to knock over every one of the remaining nine.

As Ronald Jam Levy from Jamaica and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde from France raced ahead, becoming the two athletes to qualify for the final, Hough lagged to the rear of the field.

“Hough’s a long, long way back,” the commentator was heard saying.

“Nick could never get part of the action could he?”

Aussie hurdler has been labelled a ‘legend’ despite his clumsy performance. Picture: 7 Plus

In true Aussie spirit, Hough didn’t relent once during the race, still finishing seventh and only 0.3 seconds short of his semi-final qualifying time.

It was that, and the fact it was the University of Sydney student’s first Olympics, that left fans celebrating his triumphant effort, despite the less-than-perfect performance.

“Love it! Great work on your first Olympics. All the best in 2022. Australia is proud of you,” one viewer wrote on Twitter.

“Nicholas Hough in lane nine ran the greatest race in Olympic history. Ran through the hurdles. Didn’t come in last. Beast mode,” another wrote.

Nicholas Hough placed third in his heat to qualify for the semi-final. Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images

Hough revealed after the race an injury was the reason for his clumsiness.

“I am happy I got out on the track,” he said.

“I had a sore calf after the heat yesterday. So it was a struggle to warm up and I didn’t have much power getting going and driving through the hurdles. It’s great to be out here and representing Australia. Amazing to be competing at my first Olympic semi-final and it’s fuelled the fire to go to the final next time.”

Nicholas Hough runs INTO the men's hurdles... 😳 https://t.co/MV3ynsDgIZ

— Sharon McKay🌼 (@WingedCharm) August 4, 2021

His completion of the event alone was enough to leave viewers impressed.

“Nicholas Hough is a legend. Injured, but still ran. He knew what it meant,” one tweet read.

Someone else said Hough’s unfortunate race had given him hero status.

“Can I say, as someone who knocked over every single damn hurdle in Year 7 PE and was relentlessly bullied the rest of my high school life. Nicholas Hough is my new sporting hero,” they wrote.

Hough is currently completing a degree in information technology and law, and is the co-founder and CEO of a software firm that developed an online writing tool called Outwrite.

Nicholas Hough expects to be sore following his awkward race on Wednesday. Picture: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

He told The Australian in August last year that he was fully self-funded, and not in athletics for the money.

“I still have no sponsors. I guess you can say in a way that my business is now sponsoring my athletic endeavours. I don’t do the sport for the money, because there’s none in it,” he said.

With his Tokyo Olympics campaign over, he will have to leave the Village within the next 48 hours.

Originally published as Aussies celebrate ‘legend’ Nicholas Hough after he knocks every hurdle in his Olympics semi-final