Can You Buy An Olympic Medal?

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics enters its second week, one of the most highly anticipated affairs that people look forward to is the medal ceremonies, where athletes are awarded the coveted prize at the Olympic Games: a gold, silver, or bronze Olympic medal. It symbolizes that an athlete performed in a sporting competition at the event, and either came out in first, second, or third place, respectively. If an Olympian happens to not make it to the top three, but does make it to the top eight — they do get a celebratory diploma, per Olympics. But what if you're not an Olympian, or say you came in fourth or seventh place and still want to obtain a medal anyway? How do you get one?

Well, you would be in luck. Because Olympic medals can be bought. Given that the Olympics have been around for more than a century now, there are definitely some 124-year-old medals circulating the world. And a significant number of them are more than likely not even with their original owners. One would just need a large sum of money to get your hands on an Olympic medal.

According to The New York Times, some Olympic medals have been sold for major dollars, and most of them have been obtained by prospective buyers through auction sales. Apparently, some Olympians have been putting their prized medals up for sale for years now. If not auctions, the medals can be found at pawn shops.

Per the Times article, a silver medal from the inaugural 1896 Athens Olympics sold for $180,111. Then a gold medal awarded to someone on Team USA's basketball team in 1984 recently sold for $83,188.

But not every medal has been wagered that much. A 1900-era silver medal was sold for $1,283, and a 1956 Games bronze medal sold for $3,750. It has not always been clear which Olympian has given up their Olympic medals, but former NBA player Bill Russell told the Times that he is giving up his medal, along with other prized sporting jewelry. for charity purposes.