Arrest Made, But Medals Still Missing
In a shocking incident that has left the sports community in dismay, four Olympic medals belonging to Drew Ginn, a member of Australia’s celebrated “Oarsome Foursome” rowing team, have been stolen. Police have arrested a 47-year-old man in connection with the theft, but the medals remain missing.
The incident
The theft occurred between 9 PM on Thursday and 5 AM the next day when Ginn’s black Land Rover was parked on Cumberland Street in Docklands. Among the stolen items were three gold medals and one silver medal, all hard-earned by Ginn during his illustrious 20-year Olympic career.
The man was apprehended on Wednesday in Brunswick, a northern suburb of Melbourne. “He has subsequently been charged with theft from motor vehicle, obtaining property by deception, obtaining financial advantage by deception, and handling stolen goods,” said a police spokesperson.
Other stolen items
A GoPro camera, Sony headphones, and a Rip Curl wetsuit were also taken from the vehicle. “Neither the Olympic medals nor any of the other allegedly stolen property have been recovered at this time,” police added.
Drew Ginn’s Olympic journey began with a gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Games alongside teammates Mike McKay, James Tomkins, and Nick Green. He went on to win additional golds in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008, as well as a silver medal at London 2012.
A heartfelt appeal
Ginn was visiting a school for a speaking engagement aimed at inspiring children by sharing his medals. Over the past two decades, he has visited more than 150 schools. “They were hidden away in the car but the car was ransacked completely so lots of stuff was broken and destroyed,” he told ABC Radio.
“It seemed like someone on the street had come past the car and maybe was targeting cars in Docklands and sort of hit the jackpot with the gold medals being in there,” he added, expressing hope that the medals would be returned. “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.”
Police call for vigilance
Detective Sergeant Timothy Reiher from the Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit emphasized the rarity and sentimental value of these medals. “We ask that people look out for these medals in pawn shops and online selling platforms,” he urged.
As the investigation continues, the community remains hopeful that these invaluable pieces of Olympic history will be recovered and returned to their rightful owner.