The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has confirmed that the former American Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. will get replacements for his Olympic medals, which were destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires.
The athlete was forced to evacuate his home in Pacific Palisades due to the wildfires and was only able to take with him his dog, the insulin he uses to treat his diabetes, a painting of his grandfather and a religious artefact. He was unable to return home to get his five gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, which he won at the Olympic Games from 1996-2004.
In an Instagram post, Hall shared an aftermath video of the disaster and said: “Having love is more important than having things. All worldly possessions are gone. Home is gone. Business is gone. The support from the community is so appreciated. Thank you to all who have generously contributed to the GoFundMe campaign to help me get back on my feet.”
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The athlete said: “I was getting pelted by embers on that first run… So I grabbed my dog and some dog food, and that was it… Could I have stayed 30 seconds longer and maybe got the medals? I wasn’t willing to take that risk.”
In a social media post, Bach stated that the Olympic athlete would be given replicas. He shared: “We are in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and the security forces.”
He added: “Currently the full focus must be on the fight against the fires and the protection of the people and property…. We have also learned that a great Olympian, Gary Hall Jr has lost his medals in the fire. The IOC will provide him with replicas.”
“We are in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and the security forces. Currently the full focus must be on the fight against the fires and the protection of the people and property. We have also…
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) January 12, 2025
Source: BBC