Though every four years the Olympic Games give millions the perfect excuse to flock to one city and cheer for their country's athletes, memorabilia is another major draw of these historic events.
Though historically Olympic medals have sold for hundreds of thousands if not millions at auctions, stranger items have also reached eye-watering prices.
Here's a look at some of the most expensive and unique pieces of Olympics memorabilia ever sold:
Pierre de Coubertin's Olympic Games Manifesto: $8.8 million
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In 1892, Frenchman Charles Pierre de Frédy wrote a 14-page manifesto in which he outlined the revival of the Olympic Games. De Frédy then used the manifesto to give a speech at the Sorbonne, which resulted in the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894.
However, the manifesto went missing during the World Wars until it resurfaced in the 1990s in Switzerland, according to the IOC.
The manifesto was auctioned in 2019 and sold for $8,806,500, according to Sotheby's.
Jesse Owens' 1936 Olympics gold medal: $1.4 million
In 2013, one of Jesse Ownes' four 1936 Berlin Olympics gold medals sold for $1,466,574, which became the most expensive Olympic item ever sold at an auction at a time.
The prized medal was sold as part of the state of Elaine Plaines-Robinson, the wife of entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, to whom Ownes had gifted it.
The medal was bought by billionaire and Pittsburgh Penguins stakeholder Ron Burkle, according to SCP Auctions.
Owens won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, the long jump and the the 4×100m relay at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, though it was unclear to which event this medal belonged to.
Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko gold medal: $1 million
Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko's gold medal from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics sold for $1 million at an auction in 2012, according to an interview he did with CNN at the time.
The medal, from boxing's superweight division, was one of the first ever won by Ukraine during its first Olympic Games since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
"I did sell the medal in March and 100% of the funds, which is $1 million, went to the Klitschko Brothers Foundation," Klitschko told CNN. "We care about education and sport, that is the key in any children’s life."
Breal's silver cup: $861,129
While modern Olympic Games are known for rewarding athletes with medals, in 1896, during the game's first marathon race since its resurrection, athletes were given silver cups.
This particular cup, won by Greek marathon runner Spyridon Louis, was designed by Frenchman Michel Breal, hence the cup's nickname.
The cup was sold to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for $861,129 at a Christie's auction in 2012. The foundation has since returned to cup to Greece where it has been put on display at the Acropolis Museum.
Mike Eruzione's 'Miracle on Ice' hockey jersey: $657,250
In the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, the U.S. faced off against the Soviet Union, who at the time had won all but one hockey game at any Olympics since 1957.
While the game, dubbed the "Miracle on Ice," was not for the gold medal, it was particularly significant due to the political and cultural tensions that both nations were facing at the time.
The jersey, worn by Mike Eruzione, the team's captain and winning goal-scorer, sold at an auction for $657,250 in 2013.
1952 Helsinki Olympic torch: $542,818
The 1952 Games of the XV Olympiad (more commonly known as the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics) were only the second Olympics held after World War II and the first that Israel and the Soviet Union competed in.
Olympic torches are a prized collectible, but their value depends largely on how many were made. For example, there were over 3,800 torches produced for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. On the other hand, only 22 torches were created for the 1952 Helsinki Games, making them extremely desirable amongst collectors.
One particular example sold at a Sotheby's auction for £420,000 (approx. $650,000 at the time) in May 2015.
