Olympic chiefs vow to replace US swim star medals lost in Los Angeles fires

LOS ANGELES — Olympic chief Thomas Bach said Sunday (Monday Manila time) that US swim icon Gary Hall Jr. would be given a new set of medals to replace those incinerated in the Los Angeles wildfires.

Hall was forced into a speedy evacuation of his home in Pacific Palisades this week after a raging inferno ripped through the picturesque oceanside community.

Hall Jr. said he fled taking only his dog, the insulin he uses to treat his diabetes, a painting of his grandfather, and a religious artifact.

He was unable to return to the house to get his five gold, three silver and two bronze medals he won over the course of three Olympic Games in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

"I was getting pelted by embers on that first run," Hall said. "So I grabbed my dog and some dog food, and that was it," he told the Los Angeles Times.

International Olympic Committee president Bach said in a post on Twitter that Hall would be given replica medals to replace those 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," Bach said.

"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."