Legendary Belarusian gymnast Olga Korbut, who won gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics, has sold off her medals, awards and other trophies to cope with severe financial difficulties. Heritage Auctions had organised the online sale of Olga Korbut’s items over the weekend.

Of the items sold, her team gold medal from the Munich Olympics fetched her $66,000. The net worth of the auction was $333,500 (Rs 2.22 crore approximately), auction house spokesman Chris Ivy told Reuters. However, there are varying reports on the total amount the auction fetched.

Korbut, who was called “the Sparrow from Minsk”, went on to become a gymnastics legend after her performance at the Munich Games. She was only 17-years-old when she won three gold medals (team, balance beam and floor exercise) and a silver at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Four years later, she won another gold and a silver at the Montreal Olympics.

Korbut moved from Belarus to United States in 1991. The 61-year-old gymnast now lives in Arizona. “There is hardly a gymnast alive who doesn’t credit this tiny force of nature for the explosion of the sport’s popularity on a global level,” the auction house told BBC.

Watch Korbut perform at the Munich Olympics here:

Play