Former Olympic champion swimmer Ryan Lochte has decided to move on. Amidst the controversy around his stint at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the former American swimming sensation decided to let go of his Olympic legacy.
Lochte auctioned off three of his six Olympic gold medals, including his debut Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The former teammate of swimming legend Michael Phelps revealed that he couldn’t keep those medals on the shelf forever.
Ryan Lochte Puts His Olympic Gold Medals On Sale
The Instagram page of collectible agency GoldIn uploaded a reel to their timeline where they conversed with Lochte about the medals he had put for sale. When asked about which medals he put up for sale, the American simply replied,
“We right now we got three Olympic gold medals. We got 2004 Olympic gold medal, 2008 Olympic gold medal, and 2016 Olympic gold medal.”
Lochte subsequently opened up about his decision in an interview with PEOPLE magazine. The 41-year-old former Olympic champion remarked,
“My Olympic medals represent memories I’ll carry for life, but now I want them to do more than sit on a shelf. I’m passing them on so they can help inspire and empower others. If these medals can give someone hope, fuel their dreams or help them reach their full potential, then this is the greatest way I can give back.”
Lochte auctioned off his Olympic gold medal from the 4x200m freestyle event at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the gold medal from the men’s 200m backstroke event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the men’s 4x200m freestyle event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Lochte’s Scandal At The Rio Olympics
Lochte was involved in a major controversy that dented his image as a champion swimmer. On the morning of August 14, 2016, the champion swimmer claimed that he was robbed alongside teammates like James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz, and Jack Conger. The swimmer also alleged that a gun was pointed towards his head.
However, local investigation revealed the truth. It turned out that Lochte and his teammates were drunk that night and were involved in a brawl with some security guards over vandalizing a gas station bathroom. Though he wasn’t convicted of the charges, Lochte’s conduct came under scrutiny, and he was suspended for 10 months by USA Swimming.
Lochte attempted to make a comeback at the Tokyo Olympics. However, he couldn’t proceed beyond the qualifiers back home, and since then, he has unofficially quit international swimming.
The former Olympic champion previously revealed his decision to write an autobiography about his tumultuous life as an international swimmer. He also mentioned in a video on his Instagram account that he wrote this for his son, in order to prove that he was ‘not a bad father’. He is the fifth most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time. He has won a total of 12 Olympic medals between 2004 and 2016, including six Olympic gold medals overall.
