Nick O’Hare competed in the men’s 50 metres freestyle at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Centre, finishing 7th in his heat in 24.03 seconds – placing him 48th overall.

O’Hare did not become seriously involved in competitive swimming until age 19, when he enrolled at Dublin City University in 1991. In 1995 he committed entirely to the sport, moving to Phoenix, Arizona where he was coached by innovative young American coach Troy Dalby and trained alongside the great Gary Hall Junior.

The intensive American programme brought dramatic improvement. In May 1996 at the Speedo Invitational in Phoenix he smashed the nine-year-old Irish 50 metres freestyle record with a time of 23.36 seconds, earning him a place in Atlanta.