Ex-U.S. swimmer loses Olympic medals to California wildfire

A GoFundMe page set up for former American swimmer Gary Hall Jr. says that the three-time Olympian lost all ten of his Olympic medals in his rented home devastated by the California wildfires. Hall Jr., a diabetics patient diagnosed with Type 1 in 1999, managed to escape the Palisades fire with his dog Puddles, his insulin and a few personal items. "He has also most likely lost his ten Olympic medals, but nothing can take away his spirit that won those medals," the GoFundMe page said. READ: https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/11/wind-lull-offers-hope-in-los-angeles-fires-as-blame-game-begins-1115 Hall Jr., son of Gary Hall Sr., who won two silver medals and a bronze across the 1968, ’72 and ’76 Olympics, swam for Team USA in the 1996, '00 and '04 Olympics, winning five golds, three silvers and two bronze. The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena are the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming nearly 31,000 acres (12,500 hectares) - or some 48 square miles (125 sq km) - and turning entire neighborhoods to ash. A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of wildfires helped crews make progress in bringing the infernos under control on Friday (January 10) but strong gusts could return over the weekend, forecasters said. The fires have so far killed 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, with those figures expected to grow. (Production: Jerry Lampen, David Gray, Stefan Haskins) Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch full episodes on iWantTFC for FREE here: http://iwanttfc.com Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abscbnnews