Financial difficulties have forced former Soviet Union gymnast Olga Korbut to sell her medals won at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The Olympic champion, who had won two golds and a silver in Munich, sold them in a weekend online sale conducted by Heritage Auctions. The three medals fetched Korbut $333,500 (Rs. 2.22 Crore).
Korbut, 61, is also reported to have also sold her performance leotards, various Soviet medals, which included some individual honours. The top item in the auctions was her team gold medal, which brought $66,000.
“Medals saved Korbut from hunger,” the BBC reported.
At the age of 17, the diminutive Korbut captivated the world with her performances in 1972 games. The iconic Korbut flip – a trick she performed on asymmetric bars – is banned from Olympics after being deemed too dangerous to perform.
Korbut followed her performance in Munich with another gold and silver in the 1976 Montreal games. She moved to the United States of America after Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.
