Robel Kiros Habte vows to return to the Tokyo Olympics after initially saying he would retire

The Ethiopian swimmer finished last in his 100-metre freestyle heat last week and became an internet hero

He has set up the ‘Robel the Whale Foundation’ to campaign to give Ethiopian swimmers a greater chance of managing to make it to the Tokyo games (REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler )

Robel Kiros Habte has performed a u-turn and vowed to return to the Tokyo Olympics in four years time after initially saying he was retiring from the games after a dramatic defeat in the pool.

The Ethiopian swimmer finished last in his 100-metre freestyle heat at the competition, losing by nearly half a lap behind the athletes ahead of him and 17 seconds slower than Australian pacesetter Kyle Chalmers. Despite this, the crowd cheered and he quickly became an internet hero. Other social media users and media outlets instead chose to scrutinise his physique and dubbed Habte 'Robel the Whale’.

“I was against going to Tokyo, but I have to prove myself and I have to show people that I can swim fast. I hold Ethiopian national swimming records,” Habte told The Daily Mail.

“I have to be strong and overcome what people say about me,” he also said.

“I will take the cyber and verbal bullying that I received after the Rio Olympics and convert them into motivations, which will help me achieve my set of goals and become the best swimmer that I could be.”

“I am not that fat, but I do not have the right body for swimming now. But I will show them and I will help other swimmers from my country too.”

After finishing last, Habte initially said his Olympic days were over and told the paper he was retiring from Olympic swimming.

He has set up the ‘Robel the Whale Foundation’ to campaign to give Ethiopian swimmers a greater chance of managing to make it to the Tokyo games in 2020.