Silver medal from 1936 Olympics sells at auction for $488K
A new record was set in the sports memorabilia auction world over the weekend, as a silver medal from the 1936 Berlin Olympics sold for a record-breaking $488,435. SCP Auctions, via ESPN, said the previous highest bid for a silver medal was under $100,000.
The medal was won by German long jumper Luz Long, who gained notoriety for forging a friendship with American track and field star Jesse Owens. Long placed second behind Owens in the event.
Long's and Owens' friendship was very much in the spotlight at the Olympics held in Nazi-run Germany. After the two athletes came in first and second in the long jump event, Long notoriously linked arms with Owens in front of a large German crowd that included Adolf Hitler.
The two remained friends until Long died in 1943 while fighting for the German side in World War II.
ESPN reported the gold medal Owens won in the long jump is the top-selling gold medal at auction, going for $1,466,574 at SCP Auction in 2013.
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