Olympic Gold Medalist Gary Hall Jr. Loses All Medals In Palisades Fire

Ian Kim

Gary Hall Jr. holds up the gold medal he won in the 50m free at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Gary Hall Jr., a swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist, has lost his entire Olympic medal collection to the devastating Palisades Fire that burned over 23,000 acres of land in Southern California. As a freestyle sprinter, Hall had won an astonishing five gold medals, three silvers, and two bronzes.

When the flames rapidly approached his home in Los Angeles, Hall only had the time to grab the most important essentials, including his insulin and dog. He was forced to leave behind everything else of value, leaving him with only the clothes on his back and a toothbrush.

“I started feeling the embers raining down on me and wasn't going to stick around to find out how much time I had before my house went up. I grabbed my dog and my insulin. I have Type 1 diabetes and need that to live. And jumped in the car and abandoned my home, my Olympic medals and everything of sentimental value that I possess," said Hall.

The International Olympic Committee’s President, Thomas Bach, released a statement regarding the Los Angeles fires and Hall’s medals. The committee has said that they will provide new replica medals for Hall to make up for the ones lost in the fire.

"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… 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."

Hall is currently staying with his sister as he looks to rebuild his life. He noted that many families he knew and worked with in the area faced similar conditions after losing everything they had. He voiced his support for everyone who was affected by the fires.

“Since 2020, I have connected with and worked with so many families in the area, little kids 2 to 6 years old. All of them have been displaced. And that’s what is hardest for me to think about. We’re talking about hundreds of families that I’ve gotten to know very, very closely and befriended the kids,” said Hall.

Hall continued, “That’s what has hit me more emotionally, sending ‘be safe’ messages to people who have lost their homes and kids who are 4 years old trying to wrap their heads around what just happened here. The world that they knew is destroyed.”