Olympic swimmer loses 10 medals in US wildfire

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Former US Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. lost all ten of his Olympic medals, along with his home and belongings, to the devastating wildfires engulfing Los Angeles.

The 50-year-old athlete told the Sydney Morning Herald that the fast-moving fires destroyed his rented home in Pacific Palisades, his ten Olympic medals, the swimming pool where he taught his children to swim, and most of his belongings. He managed to evacuate with only a few personal items and his dog.

The wildfires, which continue to devastate Southern California, have forced many residents to flee, including Hall. The Arizona native and 10-time Olympic medallist lost all his possessions, including the medals that marked his illustrious career. "It was worse than any apocalypse movie you've ever seen, and 1,000 times worse," Hall said in an article published Thursday, two days after the fires erupted.

Hall's Olympic achievements include back-to-back golds in the men's 50-meter freestyle at the 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens) Olympics. He also earned three golds in relay events at the 1996 (Atlanta) Games, along with three silvers and two bronzes across the three Olympics. Sadly, these medals, along with two world championship medals, were among the belongings consumed by the flames.