Iranian weightlifter Kianoush Rostami is giving up his gold medal to help people in need. The 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist announced Tuesday he is auctioning off his medal to raise money for people devastated by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Iraq and Iran on Sunday.
Iranian Olympian is auctioning his gold medal to help victims of earthquake
“I am returning my Rio 2016 Olympics gold medal — which actually belongs to them — to my people.”
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In the caption Rostami says he believes the medal belongs to the people, and by auctioning it off he is returning it to them. In a subsequent photo he posed in front of blankets, water, and much-needed supplies he will ensure arrives to the city of Kermanshah, which was hardest-hit by the earthquake.
The earthquake, which struck Sunday morning, caused horrific damage to cities in the west of Iran and along Iraq’s eastern border. So far 530 people have been confirmed dead due to the earthquake, which hit the region especially hard due to it’s shallow depth — which caused more devastating surface-level tremors.
