Olympic champion swimmer Chad le Clos has revealed that his home in Cape Town, South Africa, was destroyed in a fire on July 30. The incident occurred while the 34-year-old athlete was in Glasgow, Scotland, competing in his fifth Commonwealth Games.
Le Clos shared the news via Instagram, noting that his apartment was among several units in his building gutted by the blaze. The fire occurred just one day after he secured his 21st Commonwealth Games medal, a bronze in the men’s 4×100-metre medley relay, making him the most decorated athlete in the event’s history.
Reflecting on the timing, le Clos wrote: “On the evening of 30 July, amidst breaking the all-time Commonwealth record, a fire started in my apartment block, which quickly spread to my home. Sadly my home, where I’ve lived for more than a decade, burnt down and there is nothing left to salvage.”
The swimmer expressed his condolences following the death of an elderly neighbor in the Sea Point apartment block. In response to the tragedy, le Clos announced that his foundation will raise funds to assist other affected neighbors in rebuilding their homes. Throughout his career, le Clos has earned four Olympic medals, including gold in the 200-metre butterfly at the 2012 London Olympics, and 16 world titles. Despite the recent loss, he maintains his ambition to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The 34-year-old South African won a record 21st Commonwealth Games medal a day before the fire with a bronze in the men’s 4×100-metre medley relay.
