Claim: Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko auctioned off his Olympic medal to help Ukrainian children
Citizens around the world found different ways to send financial aid to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion. Online, there are claims that a Ukrainian celebrity sold a valuable sports token to help children survive the war.
Boxer Wladimir Klitschko “auctioned his gold medal from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to raise money for Ukrainian children,” the caption reads. a shared image March 14 on Facebook.
Similar versions of the message accumulated hundreds of actions on Facebook and Twitter before they were deleted. But the assertion is false, as an independent fact check outlets reported.
Klitschko, a retired boxer, sold his Olympic medal to help Ukrainian children in 2012 – a decade before the current Russian invasion.
USA TODAY has contacted the Facebook user who posted the image for comment.
Medal sold in 2012
Klitschko won olympic gold for Ukraine in men’s super heavyweight boxing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He sold the medal for $1 million at a charity auction in 2012, the Agence France-Presse reported at the time.
The event, which raised more than $1.5 million, was organized by the Klitschko Foundation. The organization, led by Klitschko and his brother Vitali – who is mayor of Kyiv – focuses on helping Ukrainian children through sport and education.
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Proceeds from the medal went to foundation efforts, Klitschko told CNN. But the medal never changed hands.
The buyer’s representative announced immediately after the sale that the buyer’s wish was to leave the medal to the Klitschko family, CNN and AFP reported.
Our opinion: Missing context
Based on our research, we assess MISSING CONTEXT the claim that Klitschko auctioned off his Olympic medal to help Ukrainian children, as it could be misleading without additional information. Klitschko sold his gold medal in 2012 and the proceeds went to the Klitschko Foundation, which aims to help children through sport and education. The medal was sold 10 years before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Our fact-checking sources:
- The Hill, March 8, Thousands send aid to Ukrainians by booking Airbnb stays they won’t use
- Olympics.com, accessed March 18, Wladimir Klitschko
- Associated Press, August 3, 2017, Wladimir Klitschko, former heavyweight boxing champion, retires
- International Olympic Committee, accessed March 18 Klitschko vs. Wolfgramm (Gold Medal) – 1996 Atlanta Men’s Super Heavyweight
- Agence France-Presse, March 30, 2012, Boxer Klitschko Auctions Gold Medal for $1 Million
- Klitschko Foundation, accessed March 18 About Us
- CNN, July 26, 2012, Klitschko: Why I sold my Olympic gold medal for $1 million
- PolitiFact, March 16 The Ukrainian boxing star auctioned an Olympic gold medal in 2012
- Reuters, March 15 Fact Check – Wladimir Klitschko Auctioned His 1996 Olympic Gold Medal in 2012
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