Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I reti tuatahi a Hardcastle mai i te kaukau whakataetae i te tau 1986 i te 17 o ona tau; i roto i te uiui 2012 i kii ia i muri i nga tau whakangungu i hiahia ia ki te whai oranga taiohi noa. Whai muri i tana mahi hei kaitiaki i Ford, ka whakatau ia ki te hoki ki te hakinakina i te tau 1992 ka hoki ano ki te whakataetae i te tau 1993. He mema a Hardcastle o nga roopu relay i wikitoria i te parahi i te 4 × 200-mita freestyle i te
1993 European Championships me te hiriwa i nga Taakaro Commonwealth 1994, i reira i wini ai ia i te mētara parahi takitahi i te 400 mita noa. I te tau 1995 i wini ia i te mētara koura 800m freestyle me te parahi i te 400m freestyle i te World Short Course Championships. I nga Orimipia 1996 i Atlanta, i tae ia ki te whakamutunga o te 800 mita-kore, ka mutu te waru.