Swimming superstar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ryan-lochte">Ryan Lochte</a> is auctioning off all of his silver and bronze <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/olympics">Olympic</a> medals for a kids&#8217; charity, but he’s hanging onto the gold – at least for now.
Lochte, the second-most decorated U.S. swimmer behind Michael Phelps, is putting the hardware under the hammer to raise money for the <a href="https://jorgenation.org">Jorge Nation Foundation</a>, which sends terminally ill Florida children and their families on a dream trip of their choosing.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not one to be all sentimental about medals,&#8221; Lochte, 37, told The Associated Press by phone Sunday from a Mexican vacation. &#8220;My medals are just sitting in my closet collecting dust. The memories that I have is what means the most.&#8221;
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One other earlier thing he did with no fanfare attached; he gave every single World Championships medal gold, silver &amp; bronze to kids in the sport. All 27 of them.
We did find a better man. 
Lochte auctioning off Olympics medals for charity <a href="https://t.co/T47kSCBhyv">https://t.co/T47kSCBhyv</a>
&mdash; keyser soze (@KeyserSozeBro1) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeyserSozeBro1/status/1543925317617975301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Lochte earned a dozen medals over four Olympics, including six gold. The six he’s parting with are being sold in three lots by Boston-based RR Auction in a bidding process that ends July 21. They include:
Silver medal for second-place – to Phelps &#8212; in 200-meter individual medley from the 2004 Athens Games. Estimated price: $10,000.
Two bronze medals, for the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys, in the 2008 Beijing Games. Estimated price: $12,000.
Three medals from the 2012 London Games, including silvers for the 200-meter individual medley and the 4&#215;100-0meter freestyle relay, and a bronze for the 200-meter backstroke. Estimated price: $60,00.
RR Auction Executive Vice President Bobby Livingston said the medals are in pristine shape.
&#8220;They&#8217;re in perfect condition. They have beautiful ribbons,&#8221; Livingston said. &#8220;Ryan&#8217;s are obviously extremely interesting to people who collect medals.&#8221;
Lochte, who throughout his career often gave his medals out to children in the crowd, said he is working with a third party to auction the awards. He is also selling off a 14-karat white gold Olympic ring and a Breitling watch with black diamonds to raise money for the foundation.
&#8220;This year I really wanted to focus on giving back. I&#8217;m loving it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been teaming with my dad doing swim clinics and I&#8217;m coming out with my own sunscreen.&#8221;
Lochte, who hasn&#8217;t competed at a major meet since last year&#8217;s U.S. Olympic trials where he failed to make the team, told The Associated Press he might put at least some of his Olympic gold medals up for auction. He said he would probably keep his first, for the 200-meter race in the Beijing games, and another one for his father.
&#8220;Those medals mean a lot to me; I worked my [rear] off for them,&#8221; Lochte said, &#8220;but helping other people out is more important to me, especially because I have kids of my own.&#8221;

Ryan Lochte

‘They’re Just Sitting In My Closet’: Olympic Superstar Sells Off Medals For Greatest Cause Of All

'They're Just Sitting In My Closet': Olympic Superstar Auctioning Off Medals For Kids

Charity

Olympics

Disgraced Team USA swimmer Ryan Lochte accepted the ruling Thursday by the International Olympic Committee, the US Olympic Committee, and USA Swimming with regard to his made-up story about being robbed at gunpoint outside of a gas station during the Rio Olympics.
The 32 year-old gold medalist agreed to a 10-month ban which, according to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3780196/Lyin-Ryan-Lochte-accepts-10-month-ban-1000-000-fine-20-hours-community-service-fabricated-Rio-Olympics-robbery-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Daily Mail</a>, will leave him &#8220;ineligible for world championships in Budapest in July, 2017, as he won&#8217;t able to qualify for them at nationals the previous month. He&#8217;ll get no monthly funding from either organization, can&#8217;t access USOC training centers, must perform 20 hours of community service and will miss Team USA&#8217;s post-Olympics trip to the White House.&#8221; 
Lochte will also be handing over the USOC $25,000 bonus given to Olympic gold-medal winners, and the USA Swimming bonus of $75,000 given to gold-medal winners as well. On top of that $100,000 out the door, it is speculated that he&#8217;s already lost over a million dollars in sponsorships after Speedo, Ralph Lauren, and others dropped him from their ad campaigns.
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Ryan Lochte Update:
&#8211; Suspended for 10 months 
&#8211; Forfeits $25k for winning gold 
&#8211; Barred from White House visit <a href="https://t.co/MgkHPE3eCb">pic.twitter.com/MgkHPE3eCb</a>
&#8212; Austin Hunt (@AustinHunt) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinHunt/status/773898660627308544">September 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Despite all the bad press, Lochte maintains an active presence on social media and will be appearing on the upcoming season of &#8220;Dancing with the Stars.&#8221;
USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus weighed in on the situation, telling reporters, &#8220;When Code of Conduct infractions occur, it&#8217;s our responsibility to take action that reflects the seriousness of what happened. Unfortunately, this story line took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most.&#8221;
Click below for the infamous interview the day after the gas station incident where a still-drunk Lochte makes up the story to Billy Bush:
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Exit duet by pop-duo, Lochte and Lauer:
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Ryan Lochte

‘They’re Just Sitting In My Closet’: Olympic Superstar Sells Off Medals For Greatest Cause Of All

US Olympic Committee Bars Lochte From Competition For 10 Months