American swimming legend Ryan Lochte has sold three of his six Olympic gold medals at auction for a combined $385,520, according to CLLCT’s Darren Rovell.
Lochte previously sold six bronze and silver Olympic medals for $166,000 in 2022, but has now rid himself of his 4×200-meter freestyle relay gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics ($183K), which he won with Michael Phelps, as well as his 2004 Athens Summer Olympics 4×200-meter relay gold medal ($80K) and 2016 Rio Summer Olympics 4×200-meter freestyle relay gold medal ($122K).
The sale comes amid Lochte’s highly publicized split from wife, Reid, who recently filed for divorce after seven years of marriage.
Initially, the former Playboy playmate branded the divorce ‘painful,’ while Lochte said he was ‘deeply grateful for the life we’ve built together.’ Last month, Lochte shed further light on the situation, while explaining his decision to sell his medals.
The 41-year-old 12-time medalist took to social media to issue a statement, confessing he was ‘too emotional to speak’ after facing a public backlash over recent comments.
On his Olympic medals, the newly sober Lochte said: ‘I also would like to clarify the selling of my medals. I never swam for the gold medals. My passion has always been about being one of the best swimmers in the world.
‘Those medals? They were just the cherry on top of an incredible journey. With 90 international medals – including Olympics, world championships, Pan Pacs, and Pan Am Games – I’ve been fortunate to achieve more than any swimmer out there.’
Earlier in the week, the swimmer appeared in a video from Goldin auction house, announcing that three of the six gold medals he won will be available for purchase.
During his career in the pool, Lochte picked up six gold medals in total, with another six – either silver or bronze – alongside them. Seven of those were invididual.
Lochte also delved into his divorce with Reid, admitting his own failures in the marriage but claimed that ‘we didn’t fully know each other.’
‘Navigating personal challenges in public can be incredibly tough, and I am thankful the opportunity to clarify my recent post about my ex-wife.
‘I understand that my words have sparked a lot of backlash, and I want to express that my intention was never to hurt anyone but to share my honest feelings.
‘There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I’ve chosen to keep private to protect my kids. I recognize that Kayla has shared our wedding vows on her page to highlight the authenticity of what we once had.
‘While I respect that, I still stand by my belief that we didn’t fully know each other, and honestly, I didn’t know myself or who I was. I am very thankful for our three children and the love we shared at that time.
‘Therapy has been a transformative journey for me, helping me uncover insights about myself that I previously overlooked. I’m making a tremendous effort to separate myself from the past, as I’ve truly moved on.
‘I deeply regret any disappointment I’ve caused to those in my life, including the mother of my children. I would be lying if I said I was a good husband, I wasn’t. I’m committed to working on myself every day.’
Lochte is currently attempting to rebrand his image after a career defined by both world records and high-profile scandals.
He is currently penning a tell-all memoir detailing his battles with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the infamous ‘fake robbery’ scandal at the Rio 2016 Games.
The swimmer previously described the aftermath of Rio as his ‘lowest point,’ claiming he turned to substances to cope with the shame.
He has also struggled with the physical and mental fallout of a near-death car crash in 2023, which he says led to a spiral of ‘depression and loneliness.’
Now sober and dating kindergarten teacher Molly Gillihan, Lochte has said that he is focused on his children.
‘There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I’ve chosen to keep private to protect my kids,’ he told his Instagram followers earlier this month.
Moving forward, the Olympian has vowed to keep his previous marriage out of the spotlight to focus on his ‘new purpose’ and religious faith.