Former Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte has explained his decision to auction three of his six gold medals — a move that always proves controversial for athletes, given the medals’ symbolic value.
Last week, the 41-year-old athlete was featured in an Instagram video for the Goldin auction house, where he announced that three of his medals — won in 2004, 2008, and 2016 — will be available to bid on. In the comments, fans slammed the decision as “so sad.”
