Sport
Jesse Owens Olympic Gold medal fetches $1.4 million at auction
The medal was sold by the estate of Robinson’s late widow, Elaine Plaines-Robinson. SCP Auctions Vice President Dan Imler said the Owens family confirmed the medal is original; the whereabouts of the other three is unknown.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the medal will be donated to the Jesse Owens Foundation. The Robinson family had declined to comment on the auction, but Imler said they also plan to use the proceeds to pay college tuition.
Last month, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach told reportes that the Owens medal is “a part of world heritage.”
“It has an importance far beyond the sporting achievements of Jesse Owens, which is part of world history,” Bach said. “To put this up for an auction is for me a very difficult decision to accept.”
The record price for the Owens medal surpassed that of a silver cup awarded to the winner of the first modern-day Olympic marathon in 1896 that sold for US$865,000 in April 2012. It also topped the highest price paid for a U.S. Olympic item — the “Miracle on Ice” jersey worn by team captain Mike Eruzione in 1980 that sold for US$657,250 last February.
“We are honored to have handled what we consider to be among the most inspiring sports artifacts ever offered at auction,” Imler said. “The worldwide attention garnered by the auction of Jesse Owens’ 1936 gold medal and the extraordinary auction result proves that Owens’ triumphant legacy continues to endure.”
The auction, including more than 1,000 sports memorabilia items, brought in a total of nearly US$4.5 million.
