Dutch Olympic athlete defends decision to sell gold medal online

Olympic relay runner Eugene Omalla has explained his decision to auction off his gold medal from last year’s Games in Paris after the sale sparked a flurry of criticism on social media.

The 24-year-old was a member of the quartet that won the mixed 4x400m relay with a stunning final leg by Femke Bol that sent TV commentators around the world into raptures.

Omalla said in an Instagram post that he was selling the medal mainly to raise money for a Christian charity run by his parents, Child’s Destiny of Hope, which supports childen in Uganda with their education and development.

By Monday afternoon bidding for the medal had reached $23,000 (€20,650), but the with the auction closing on Saturday the final sale price could be considerably higher.

“The proceeds will also be used to provide for my family,” Omalla said. “The struggles and sacrifices we have been through to get to where we are have shaped me in ways that many people perhaps don’t understand.”

Omalla and his twin brother, Jaime, were born in Zoetermeer before moving to Uganda at the age of seven. They have both represented Uganda at athletics in the past, but switched to the Netherlands last year. Both are studying at Kansas State University in the US.

Eugene Omalla will be competing for medals again this summer as part of the Dutch men’s 4x400m team that qualified for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo by finishing second in their heat at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, last weekend.

He admitted in hindsight that he ought to have informed his fellow athletes before listing the medal for sale. “To my team-mates, the staff and everyone who feels hurt: I’m sorry if that’s how it came across. This decision was based on love, responsibility and gratitude.”

He added: “It was never meant to be about greed or disrespect for that monumental moment. This decision is about something much more personal: securing the future and the well-being of my family and supporting those who need it.”