Ervin pulls off Olympic swim victories 16 years apart

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Anthony Ervin finally has an Olympic gold medal to replace the one he sold 16 years ago.

At the 2000 Sydney Games, Ervin tied teammate Gary Hall Jr. for gold in the 50 free, making him one of the sport's rising stars.

[...] he stunningly walked away in 2003, burned out on swimming and seeking to find a deeper meaning to life.

Ervin broke away from the winner's stroll on deck to share wild hugs with his brother and his "ride or die friends, the bam-bam fam."

Earlier this year, he detailed his life's adventures, including drugs and sex, in a book called Chasing Water:

After leaving the sport in 2003, Ervin spent eight years working odd jobs, moved from California to New York and then back again, and finished his college degree at California.