He finished dead last out of 59 competitors in his event, so far behind the other two swimmers in his heat he slipped off-screen during the race, and boasts one of the most unbecoming physiques in Olympic swimming history.

So, how did Ethiopia’s Robel Habte end up in Rio?

Habte finished the first heat of the 100m freestyle with a time of 1:04.95.

Australia’s Kyle Chalmers – the eventual gold medallist – was the fastest qualifier with a time of 47.90 seconds, while only one other competitor failed to break 55 seconds, Nepal’s Sirish Gurung (57.76).

Habte’s ‘dad bod’ saw him hit the headlines, while his efforts in the pool earned him immediate comparisons with the sentimental favourite of the 2000 Olympics, Eric ‘The Eel’ Moussambani.

But it can be argued ‘Robel the Whale’ didn’t deserve to be at the Olympics at all – and there’s even the prospect he took a spot from a more deserving countryman.

According to unconfirmed reports, Habte’s father, Kiros Habte Kinfe, is the president of the Ethiopian Swimming Federation, with some alleging that his father’s position gave him an armchair ride to Brazil.

Habte’s spot at the Games came courtesy of a special invitation from world body FINA for athletes from under-represented countries, a similar policy that booked Moussambani his ticket to Sydney, but a controversial one that doesn’t pertain to the ‘best of the best’ standards intrinsic to the Olympics.

The insinuation that Habte may not be Ethiopia’s fastest swimmer has the potential to leave a sour aftertaste to one of Rio’s feel-good stories so far.

Ethiopia’s Robel Kiros Habte became a social media sensation at the Rio Olympics. Photo: Twitter

Based on his display in Rio, it’s not hard to imagine there is someone in Ethiopia a body-length quicker than Habte at getting to the other end of the pool and back.

He is said to be the fastest Ethiopian ever over one lap, however.

Habte reportedly holds the national record for the 50m freestyle, but Dawit Mengistu is Ethiopia’s 100m freestyle record-holder, setting the time of 1:01.36 at the All-Africa Games in Congo less than a year ago.

It is unknown whether Mengistu attempted to qualify for the Rio Games in the event.

If it is all above board, Habte’s headline-grabbing performance – like ‘Eric the Eel’ 16 years earlier – embodies the Olympic spirit of participation and inclusion.

As the father of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, said: “The important thing is not to win, but to take part.”

Habte, who claims to have broken the one-minute barrier for the 100m freestyle, was beaming after his moment in the Olympic spotlight.

“I am so happy because it is my first competition in the Olympics,” the 24-year-old said.

“I wanted to do something different for my country, that’s why I chose swimming.

Habte was Ethiopia’s flag bearer. Photo: Getty

“Everybody, every day you wake up in Ethiopia, you run. Not swimming. But I didn’t want to run, I wanted to be a swimmer.

“It didn’t matter where I finished.”

He also acknowledged that he was overweight – but said that it was due to a car accident that had stopped him from training.

“It has been difficult,” he is quoted as saying by The Daily Mail.

“Some of the things people have said or written are not nice.

“I am a nice person, I would not say these things about others. They have used dirty language against me and called me fat and a big man and a whale.

“I don’t know these people, but maybe after one week I can go back to the internet.

“I know my body is fat, but I will lose the weight and when I go to Canada for the World Championships … I will show them.”

“I was not surprised that I finished far behind and last. Ethiopia is not a swimmer’s country and I have not trained in an Olympic size pool.”

But the sinister side of the narrative is that maybe the only reason he was in Rio was because of his father’s administrative role – which, if true, certainly contravenes every part of the Olympic doctrine.

The Ethiopian Olympic Committee or the IOC investigating – or even commenting – on the allegations is unlikely, meaning Robel Habte will probably remain an Olympic curiosity for perpetuity, and the validity of his appearance at Rio 2016 an eternal mystery.