According to Russian media, Vitaly Fridzon’s bronze medal from the London 2012 Olympics was stolen last Saturday.
According to an official announcement by the Russia Ministry of Internal Affairs, the police was called to an apartment in the Moscow suburbs which according to its 27-year-old owner has been burgled and amongst things missing were: An bronze Olympic medal, two swiss watches, a notebook, mobile phone, camera and an iPad.
It was later determined that the person who made the report was indeed Khimki’s Vitaly Fridzon. If ever caught the burglar(s) might see themselves behind bars for the next decade.
Russian basketball community is already on the hunt for the medal recovery. Fridzon’s club Khimki have made an official announcement calling for the burglars to do the decent thing and return the medal:
“We, Khimki basketball club and its fans appeal to the conscience of the burglars, return the Olympic medal to Vitaly! This award is priceless and is a result of years long hard work by the athlete. For you the Olympic medal is only an object of profit, but for Vitaly it’s a lifetime memory. We ask you to return our captain and Russian NT leader his deserved Olympic bronze medal.”
The devastated athlete hopes that he can at least get a replacement medal: “I remember a similar case where an athlete who got his medal stolen was issued a replacement one”, a procedure on which the Russian Basketball Federation has already started working on by preparing the necessary documentation, and is ready to even cover the expenses of such solution and even travel to IOC headquarters in Switzerland to pick it up.
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According to the video above the burglars also robbed another house in the same street entering the house through the balcony, after feeding the dogs so they would stop barking, while the owners were asleep.
