Nicholas Andrews

BIOGRAPHY

Nick Andrews has been a sprinter and hurdler of the highest quality for over a decade. After competing for Australia in the 110m hurdles at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, his journey to senior representation looked like being in the sprints, after he was a member of the national 4x100m relay team at the 2017 World Championships. But in his 20s he has switched his focus back to the hurdles with significant success. He is selected for the 2023 Budapest World Championships – his sixth senior National team.

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He started athletics in Tiny Tots at Cherrybrook Little Athletics. He started to focus on hurdling in his mid-high school years at The Kings’ School. It was not the only sport that was on the radar, as he played Rugby Union until he was 17 at a competitive level.
“I thought I was going to play for the Wallabies someday, although that’s a dream that’s long gone now though,” he said.

In 2014 he was selected for the Youth Olympic Games (U18). It is one of his most memorable moments.
“It will always hold a special place in my heart, I remember exactly where I was the day I got that call and the raw joy that it gave me.”

His 2016 season, where he had turned 19, in February was extraordinary. He clocked 10.39 in the 100m twice and won the national under-20 110m hurdles title. Selected for the World Juniors, he was brilliant in the leadup, lowering his 110m hurdles best to 13.33 – the second fastest Australian junior ever, behind another former Kings’ School student Nick Hough. At the World Juniors he progressed to the semi-final in the hurdles and anchored the 4x100m relay to fifth in the final in a new national under-20 record of 39.57.

In 2017 he made the graduation to the senior hurdles with a best of 14.30. He continued to impress in the sprints, selected for the national team in the 4x100m for the 2017 World Championships where they clocked 38.88 in the heats.

In 2019 he refocused on the hurdles, making the semi-final at the World University Games clocking a yearly best of 13.76. Earlier in the year Nick had meet some athletes from the Phoenix Track Club and in December went there for a camp. He recalls be clicked with the athletes and coach and decided to sign with them. After negotiating the limited competition period due to COVID, in 2021 he reduced his hurdles PB to 13.59 and a windy 13.45, along with a win over Nick Hough. 

Living and training under coach Tim O’Neil at the Phoenix Track Club, an elite hurdles training squad in Arizona, Nick ran his first indoor 60m hurdles in January. In his second meet, he clocked 7.72 seconds, under Kyle vander-Kuyp’s national record that unfortunately had been lowered by Chris Douglas just six days prior. However, it was a qualifier for the World Indoor Championships. At Belgrade Nick fifth in his heat in a time of 7.75 seconds.

Over 2022 and 2023, Nick was all top-3 in the key meets – two National titles, Oceania Champs, Sydney and Brisbane Track Classics, accumulating sufficient points to be selected for the 2023 Budapest World Championships – which will be his sixth senior Australian team.

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In recent years, Nick has sought balance in his life - he reflects:
“I spent a good few years in one of those 'make or break' mindsets, where if I didn’t run a time or make a team I would consider it a failure. It meant I pushed away friends and opportunities for goals on the track, I had absolutely no balance and it affected my mental state. I wouldn’t tell athletes to go crazy socially, but go enjoy the company of your friends, it won’t destroy your season, just make sure there's a balance.”

Hero: US hurdler Allen Johnson as he is the same height 1.78m….Influential people: brother (Harrison) a good hurdler and parents (his mother was a sprinter)…..Hobbies: collecting vinyl records…..Sporting goals: Australian record, Olympics and organising a street meet in the middle of Pitt street mall…..Study: Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in international business, with a minor in marketing at Macquarie University in Sydney….. Biggest challenge: Graduating to the senior height hurdles. “Tim (his coach) and I have spent a lot of time refining that technique and we’re getting to a place where I'm starting to clear hurdles fast and efficiently which is a massive step forward.” …..Enjoyment of competing: “The hurdles is this beautifully chaotic experience, I love all of it. Anything can happen over the ten hurdles.”

@ August 2023 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au

World Athletics Profile https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nicholas-andrews-14569521