BY: DM
Published 4 hours ago
Olympic diver Greg Louganis is speaking out about the struggles in his personal life that pushed him to sell his famed medals. Born in 1960, Louganis grew up in Southern California and rose to become one of the most dominant divers in Olympic history. At 16, he stepped onto the Olympic stage in Montreal and earned a silver medal in the 10-meter platform. He later captured four Olympic golds and another silver across three Games. Those victories secured his place in the record book.
Louganis has always spoken openly about his life beyond the pool. He wrote a bestselling memoir that detailed abuse in his past and faced the backlash of being an openly gay athlete living with HIV in the 1990s. He came out publicly at the Gay Games in the mid-1990s and disclosed his HIV status. Afterward, he built a second career in acting, public speaking, and mentoring.
Recently, his personal life shifted, and he turned to fans for support in a new way. Louganis sold his Olympic medals and explained his decision.
Greg Louganis sold his medals because of financial hardship.
The medals — Louganis’ 1988 Seoul gold, his 1984 Los Angeles gold, and his 1976 Montreal silver — were offered at RR Auction’s Summer 2025 Olympic Memorabilia sale. Together, they went for $430,865, with the standout item being the Seoul gold, which sold for more than $200,000 alone. The auction house confirmed the results in a press release. In social posts, he said he wanted a simpler life and that selling items he’d kept in boxes made practical sense as he prepared to relocate.
“I have auctioned three of my medals, which sold, I believe, because I went against what the ‘experts’ told me last time when I tried the first time,” Louganis wrote on Facebook. “I told the truth; I needed the money. While many people may have built businesses and sold them for a profit, I had my medals, which I am grateful for. If I had proper management, I might not have been in that position, but what is done is done; live and learn.”
The medals sold this summer had a complicated recent history. Louganis had gifted one of his 1984 medals to his longtime coach, Ron O’Brien, and it returned to Louganis’ possession after O’Brien’s death in November 2024.
Greg Louganis previously auctioned off Olympic memorabilia.
This isn’t the first time Louganis has put his Olympic memorabilia up for sale. He previously organized auctions with items from his career in 2022 and 2023, when he tied proceeds to charitable causes, including the Damien Center, an AIDS services provider, and organizations that support children.
Louganis’ Instagram posts and short video updates show him settling in Panama City. He’s staying in hotels while he searches for a long-term place. In those updates, he describes a desire to live lightly and deliberately. He hasn’t released a detailed financial breakdown of how he’ll use the auction and house sale proceeds. He also hasn’t said whether he plans to stop philanthropic giving entirely.
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