South Africa’s le Clos says home destroyed during Commonwealth record run

What the report says

South African swimmer Chad le Clos said his Cape Town home was destroyed in a fire while he was competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, according to Al Jazeera’s report, which was based on an Associated Press dispatch. Le Clos said the blaze tore through his apartment block on July 30, the same period in which he was setting a new mark as the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history.

The article says le Clos shared the news on Instagram after earning a bronze medal in the men’s 4x100-metre medley relay, which gave him a record 21st Commonwealth Games medal. He described the apartment block fire in the Sea Point area of Cape Town as leaving nothing salvageable from the home where he had lived for more than a decade.

Le Clos also offered condolences for an elderly neighbour who died in the fire, according to the report. He said his foundation would help raise money for other affected residents to rebuild. The fire adds a personal setback to a career that already includes Olympic gold in the 200-metre butterfly at London 2012, four Olympic medals and 16 world titles.

The report places the incident in the broader context of le Clos’s long international career and notes that Glasgow was his fifth Commonwealth Games. It also says he has spoken of aiming to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.