An Australian rower named Drew Ginn allegedly had four Olympic medals stolen, and police pursued and captured the person in question. However, the medals—three gold and one silver—remain missing.
The 47-year-old man was detained in Brunswick, a northern Melbourne suburb after being wanted on a warrant related to the alleged theft. Authorities added that they thought Ginn’s medals had been taken approximately a week ago from the back of a Land Rover that was parked in the city of Victoria.
In addition to the medals, Ginn allegedly left a GoPro camera, headphones, and a wetsuit inside his car while giving a speech at a school. According to the police, these items were also taken.
Speaking about his missing medals, the athlete said: “They’ve got a lot of value for family and friends… but you can’t insure them… They were hidden away in the car but the car was ransacked completely so lots of stuff was broken and destroyed.”
One of the most decorated Olympians from Australia, Ginn was a member of the renowned rowing team known as “The Oarsome Foursome”. He competed in the Olympics for nearly 20 years, winning medals from the Atlanta Games in 1996 to the London Olympics in 2012.
The 49-year-old expressed faith that the medals may return to their original owner instead of being sold. Ginn added: “There might be a market out there for this kind of thing but you’d hope sensibility would play out and, in the end, I know other medals have been returned in years gone by so we hope that that happens in this case.”
An image of the medals has been made public by the police, along with a warning to be vigilant if you see them up for sale online or at pawn shops.
Italian rower Giacomo Perini was disqualified and forfeited his bronze medal from the Paralympics after it was discovered that he had a cell phone on his boat during the Paralympics. Despite this, the athlete said it was an error and he had never used it for communication.
The 28-year-old was disqualified by World Rowing after finishing third in the PR1 men’s single sculls final, which is the category for rowers who only use their arms and shoulders. The World Rowing statement stated: “In the final of the PR1 men’s singles, the Italian athlete was found to be using communications equipment during the race, in violation of rule 28 and Appendix R2, Bye-Law of rule 28.”
Disappointed with the way the statement was worded, Perini claimed he had left his phone in a tiny bag on the boat that also had a bottle of water and that it had been an oversight. He also claimed he had not broken any rules.
The athlete declared: “They didn’t ‘find’ me simply because I never used the mobile phone on the boat… I gave the phone to the jury so that they could see that the last call was from the night before, with the psychologist… The rules do not say that you cannot bring the phone, but that you cannot communicate.”
The rule states ‘no communication with the crew is permitted from outside the boat using electric or electronic equipment’. With this, the Italian Rowing Federation announced that they will be taking the ruling to the World Rowing Executive Board after their appeal was turned down.
Olympic medallist Amber Rutter claims she was “truly devastated” to have her possessions stolen on her way home after receiving a UK Sport award.
The 27-year-old athlete received a comeback/breakthrough award in Manchester after winning skeet silver at Paris 2024. However, her valuable possessions were taken on her train ride to Reading, including the prize and a sentimental memento, and requested assistance in recovering them.
Rutter expressed: “Just had all my belongings stolen on my train back from Manchester Piccadilly to Reading, including my cartridge necklace that was given to me from my grandad when I was 12 years old and only took off as I broke the chain last night.”
She added: “I’m truly devastated. If anyone is able to help in any way I would be truly grateful.”
After receiving the UK Sport award, the athlete declared: “This recognition means so much to me after such a whirlwind career of challenges, perseverance and incredible highs. As always, thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way.”
In a social media post, Rutter shared her achievement by saying: “What an unforgettable day in Manchester at the @uk_sport PLX event! 🌟… I had the incredible opportunity to speak and share my journey with so many inspiring individuals from the world of sport.”
“To top it all off, I was honored to be nominated for the Athlete Comeback/Breakthrough Award against some incredible athletes and I can’t believe I won! 🏆,” she said.
The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has confirmed that the former American Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. will get replacements for his Olympic medals, which were destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires.
The athlete was forced to evacuate his home in Pacific Palisades due to the wildfires and was only able to take with him his dog, the insulin he uses to treat his diabetes, a painting of his grandfather and a religious artefact. He was unable to return home to get his five gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, which he won at the Olympic Games from 1996-2004.
In an Instagram post, Hall shared an aftermath video of the disaster and said: “Having love is more important than having things. All worldly possessions are gone. Home is gone. Business is gone. The support from the community is so appreciated. Thank you to all who have generously contributed to the GoFundMe campaign to help me get back on my feet.”
The athlete said: “I was getting pelted by embers on that first run… So I grabbed my dog and some dog food, and that was it… Could I have stayed 30 seconds longer and maybe got the medals? I wasn’t willing to take that risk.”
In a social media post, Bach stated that the Olympic athlete would be given replicas. He shared: “We are in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and the security forces.”
He added: “Currently the full focus must be on the fight against the fires and the protection of the people and property…. We have also learned that a great Olympian, Gary Hall Jr has lost his medals in the fire. The IOC will provide him with replicas.”
“We are in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and the security forces. Currently the full focus must be on the fight against the fires and the protection of the people and property. We have also…
The loss of his Olympic gold medal has upset former Hungarian fencer László Csongrádi so much that he has offered to leave it to the thief in his will provided it is returned.
Csongrádi took home the gold medal in the men’s team sabre competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. However, his home was burgled when he was sleeping on September 10, and the valuable item stolen.
Following this unfortunate event, the former athlete said: “For two weeks, I can’t calm down and be happy because everything reminds me of my stolen Olympic gold medal… I would give everything to the culprit, but I want him to return the worthless object that means nothing to him. Drop it in the mailbox and if you want, I won’t leave it to a museum in my will, I’ll bequeath it to him.”
According to Csongrádi, the medal was kept hidden in a cupboard, and the thief only left the house after he yelled at him.
Csongrádi added: “He could have taken other important things, but for some reason (the medal) was all he was interested in… The thief touched many things, many fingerprints were left behind, but there is nothing to identify them. I don’t know what to do to get the message across to him: I don’t want to hurt him… you can negotiate with me.”
Fresh from a ‘three-peat”, the Australian foursome pulled off a fourth feat. The Australians won their fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the 4×100 metres women’s freestyle in Paris, leading almost from start to finish.
The quartet of Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris set an Olympic record with a time of 3 minutes, 28.92 seconds, breaking the record the Australians set in Tokyo three years ago.
The Americans won silver and the Chinese bronze.
Australia’s O’Callaghan was slow off the blocks and well behind China’s Yang Junxuan in the opening 50 metres, but then she surged ahead, and the Australians led all the way. Jack and McKeon extended the lead before Meg Harris anchored the team home with a sizzling 51.94 second split.
Behind the success
What explains the Australian success?
Well, nothing succeeds like success.
The Australian foursome also hold the world record in the 4×100 metres freestyle. They set a time of 3:27.96 last year, which remains unbroken.
They have become used to setting records.
O’Callaghan, McKeon and Harris also set the previous Olympic record in Tokyo three years ago, which they broke this year.
🥇GOLD🥇
An Olympic record, and a 6th gold for Emma McKeon. Australia win the 4 x 100m Relay: pic.twitter.com/aet0sOqpzJ
It was an especially big win for the 30-year-old McKeon, swimming her final Olympics, as it gave her a sixth Olympic gold and a 12th Olympic medal overall.
That ties McKeon with Americans Katie Ledecky, Jenny Thompson, Natalie Coughlin and Dara Torres for the most career Olympic medals by a women’s swimmer.
McKeon, who won her first Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, returned home with seven medals from Tokyo three years ago, including four gold.
She is now Australia’s most decorated Olympian of all time, surpassing former swimmer Ian Thorpe with her sixth gold medal.
Mollie O’Callaghan
Meanwhile, Mollie O’Callaghan, 20, picked up another gold in Paris, winning the 200 metres freestyle, defeating compatriot Ariarne Titmus, who won the title in Tokyo. With the two golds she won in Paris, O’Callaghan now has four Olympic gold medals. She also helped the Australians win the 4×100 metres medley and the 4×100 metres freestyle in Tokyo.
Meg Harris
Meg Harris, 22, competing in her second Summer Games, now has two Olympic golds, both won in the 4×100 metres freestyle relay, first in Tokyo and now in Paris.
Harris has reached the pinnacle of success despite hearing loss in both ears.
She can normally lip-read others and also taught herself to hear the starter’s gun.
Her hearing loss could be due to nerve damage, probably as a result of illness at a young age, but it is moderate, and she can cope, she says.
Shayna Jack
The Paris gold is especially sweet for Shayna Jack, 25, who made her Olympic debut three years after returning from a doping ban.
From 2019 to 2021, she served a 24-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance. She didn’t take it intentionally, she said.
She cherished her Olympic moment. “For me it’s definitely about getting up there and doing my country proud,” Jack said after winning the gold in Paris. “It’s a really special moment to stand on the podium with the other three girls.”
There are highs and lows.
Emma McKeon broke down in tears after missing podium in her last individual Olympic race, the 100 metres butterfly, on July 28.
“It’s just emotional,” she said, an athlete planning to retire from the sport.
“I definitely hoped that would’ve been better, but I know I’ve got a lot to be proud of,” said McKeon, who finished sixth.
Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh, who were part of the US team which finished second in the 4×100 metres freestyle, won gold and silver respectively.
“It’s always going to be emotional finishing something that’s brought me so much joy. So many great relationships and so many great life lessons,” said McKeon.
