Aug 5 (Reuters) - South Africa's Chad le Clos said on Tuesday that his Cape Town apartment was destroyed in a fire that also killed one of his neighbours a day after the swimmer became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history.
The 34-year-old won his 21st Commonwealth Games medal when South Africa took bronze in the men's 4x100 metres medley relay in Glasgow last week, moving past Australian Emma McKeon at the top of the all-time standings.
However, the milestone was overshadowed when a fire ripped through his apartment block in the Sea Point suburb of Cape Town.
"It has taken me a while to process this heartbreaking tragedy," Le Clos posted on Instagram.
"On the evening of July 30, amid 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."
Le Clos also paid tribute to a neighbour who died in the blaze and expressed condolences to the victim's family and friends. He said the Chad le Clos Foundation had launched a fundraising campaign to support residents affected by the fire.
The South African's relay bronze was his third medal of the 2026 Games, following a silver in the mixed 4x100m medley and bronze in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay.
His Commonwealth tally now stands at seven gold, five silver and nine bronze medals across five Games, dating back to his debut in Delhi in 2010.
Le Clos made his breakthrough at the 2012 London Olympics, where he beat American Michael Phelps to win gold in the 200m butterfly. He has won four Olympic medals and four world championships titles in his career.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
