Born in Highland, Illinois, Hug made his first Olympic team in 1968 at 16 years old, the youngest person to represent the U.S. gymnastics team at the event. He was the first American to reach the Olympic individual all-around finals, in the first Olympics that featured the competition.[2] Hug finished the individual all-around in 36th place, and was a member of the U.S. men's all-around team that posted a seventh-place performance.[1] The following year, he won the all-around gold medal at the national championships, the first of three all-around titles he earned.[1]
Hug is a 1995 inductee into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame.[2]CrossFit's Greg Glassman has credited him for providing him with "inspiration" while he was growing up.[6]
