Swimmer Ryan Lochte promoting three Olympic medals at Goldin

Olympic medals often come up at public sale, however not often do they arrive from well-known athletes.

American swimmer Ryan Lochte is a type of exceptions, having offered six medals for a complete of $166,000 in 2022 at RR Auctions.

Next week, Lochte will half with extra Olympics {hardware} when three of his relay gold medals go under the hammer at Goldin.

In 2022, Lochte mentioned he was promoting his bronze and silver medals as a result of they had been “collecting dust.” Proceeds from that sale reportedly went to the Jorge Nation Foundation, a non-profit that was elevating cash to ship terminally unwell youngsters on a visit.

After dealing with criticism for promoting extra medals, Lochte reiterated to followers on social media that the medals weren’t vital.

“I never swam for the gold medals,” Lochte wrote on Instagram. “My passion has always been about being one of the best swimmers in the world. Those medals? They were just the cherry on top of an incredible journey.”

With somewhat greater than every week left within the public sale, Lochte’s relay golds from Athens and Rio every have excessive bids of $26,840, whereas his the 4×200 Beijing relay gold has reached $39,040.

After the sale, Lochte can have three extra medals in his possession.

Earlier this 12 months, America’s most embellished diver, Greg Louganis, offered two golds and a silver for a whopping $430,865, crushing unique estimates.

Gold medals from the 1980 U.S. ice hockey workforce often promote for not less than $250,000.

One has to wonder if the decrease costs in 2022 and the dearth of bidding on Lochte’s present medals must do with a decline within the swimmer’s model.

His repute took successful in Rio 2016 after he claimed he was robbed at gunpoint at a fuel station in Brazil. Lochte later admitted he exaggerated the story, saying he was drunk on the time. He subsequently obtained a 10-month suspension from USA Swimming and misplaced practically all his sponsorship offers.

Lochte has lately been compelled to defend himself after his ex-wife, Kayla Rae Reid, filed for divorce, alleging in courtroom paperwork that Lochte used medicine whereas caring for their three youngsters.

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Darren Rovell is the founding father of cllct and one of many nation’s main reporters on the collectibles market. He beforehand labored for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.