Russian gymnast Olga Korbut, more famously known as 'The Sparrow from Minsk', has reportedly fallen into financial difficulty that compelled her to sell her Olympic medals and other memorabilia through a US auction house.
She sold thirty-two lots in total including two golds and a silver medal from the 1972 Munich Olympics in a weekend online sale by Heritage Auctions. The 61-year-old gymnast who now lives in Arizona, in total, made $333,500 from the auction said a Reuters report.
Russia's Gazeta.ru in its headline said that 'Medals saved Korbut from hunger.' It was also reported that she had financial difficulties which consequently lead to this step. "Korbut, who moved in 1991 to the US where she became a gymnastics teacher, had in recent years become almost destitute," it said.
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The top item was her 1972 team gold medal, which fetched $66,000. Korbut also sold her Munich floor exercise gold, the silver won on the asymmetric bars, and a team gold and balance beam silver from the 1976 Montreal Games, reported The Guardian.
Korbut is most famous for her uneven bars and balance beam routines, as well as her charismatic performances that captivated audiences. Her Olympic achievement earned her ABC's Wide World of Sports title of Athlete of the Year. In 1973, she won the Russian and World Student Games, and a silver medal in the all-around at the European Championships.
