RUSSIAN GYMNAST KORBUT AUCTIONS MEMORABILIA

While Russian media reported that Olympic gold medalist Olga

Korbut sold several of her medals at auction after running into money troubles, Korbut shot down the reports Tuesday and said she was not in a financial crisis. Three Olympic gold and two silver medals won by the Russian gymnast in Munich in 1972 and Montreal four years later were sold by Heritage Auctions. Elon

Werner, director of communications at Heritage Auctions, said Korbut’s memorabilia sold for $333,504. A Russian news outlet reported that selling the medals saved Korbut from hunger. But Werner said, “It wasn’t a financial decision on her part. Her decision to sell the medals was made in the spirit of the Olympics. She wanted to actually control how those medals went out into the world.”