The American swimming legend has lost all his 10 Olympic medals |courtesy - AP/Instagram
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The California wildfires have caused severe damage
- The US Swimmer lost 10 Olympic Medals
- Several people have lost their homes
The massive wildfires in California have left the world in shock, with the Los Angeles area, among those that are facing massive consequences. United States of America (USA) swimming legend Gary Hall is among those affected as he lost several personal belongings, including his 10 Olympic medals.
Hall lived in a rented home in the Pacific Palisades, which is among the worst affected areas. The five-time Olympic champion revealed that he lost several items due to the devastation caused by the fires, including all 10 Olympic medals as well as a swimming pool. The 50-year-old claimed his immediate instinct was to run and escape the fires, and he did not have the time to find his Olympic medals. Hall also revealed that his businesses have also been burnt to the ground and referred to the incident as worse than any apocalypse movie.
"It was worse than any apocalypse movie you've ever seen and 1000 times worse. Hall said, in an interview in the aftermath of his evacuation. It's mayhem in Los Angeles. We were surrounded by flames. The embers were raining down on me as I jumped into my car. I had time to grab my dog and just a couple of personal items. It's just every person for themselves," Hall said, speaking about the traumatic events that took place," said Hall in an interaction with the Sydney Morning Herald.
"I did think about the medals. I did not have time to get them. Everyone wants to know did the medals burn? Yeah, everything burnt. It's something I can live without. I guess everything is just stuff. It'll take some hard work to start over. What can you do? It's not just about me. My home and my business burnt to the ground. Time to start a new chapter," Hall added.
In his Olympic career, Hall won four medals (2 gold, 2 silver) at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, four medals (2 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze) in Sydney 2000 as well as two medals ( 1 gold, 1 bronze) in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
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