Robel Habte, foreground (Getty Images)

Clearly, Ethiopian swimmer Robel Habte isn’t Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua when it comes to the physique department.

But does Habte really deserve to be body-shamed?

Sure, at 5-foot-9, 179 pounds, Habte isn’t the lithe, 6-foot-4, 194 pounds Michael Phelps is. But tubby? Fat?

Robel the Whale?

Those are excessive, and downright mean.

[Related: Independent Olympian uses marker on uniform to show disdain for IOC]

Habte swam in the 100-meter freestyle prelims Tuesday, was last in his heat of three and last in the field of 59 competitors; his time of 1:04.95 was 17 seconds behind the fastest man in the prelims, Australia’s Kyle Chalmers.

Ethiopian Dadbod

The 24-year-old hails from a land-locked country of long-distance runners, and told Reuters he intentionally chose swimming to be different.

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

Despite his slow swim (Habte said his personal best is 59.08), the crowd at the aquatic center cheered him on as he finished.

“I am so happy because it is my first competition in the Olympics,” Habte said. “So thanks for God.”

Habte got a special invitation into the Olympics from FINA, swimming’s world governing body, because he is from an under-represented country.

He has faced charges of nepotism from back home, however. Habte is the son of the country’s swimming boss and many Ethiopians are angry that a more deserving swimmer was not selected.

“Robel is a symbol of racism, favouritism, incompetence that we’re currently fighting,” one Ethiopian tweeted.

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