Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis is leaving the U.S. for a fresh start.
The 65-year-old — who won four Olympic gold medals and one silver medal between 1976 and 1988 —is moving to Panama after selling his California home and many of his possessions, he announced Friday via Facebook.
Louganis said he has “decided to donate, sell what can be sold, give gifts, and give where things might be needed or appreciated.” He noted that he was “VERY happy” with the buyer of his home.
“I thanked and blessed the house to bring joy, love, peace, happiness, and a sense of safety to those who entered the house,” Louganis wrote.
Louganis also sold three of his Olympic medals this summer.
“I have auctioned three of my medals, which sold, I believe, because I went against what the ‘experts’ told me last time when I tried the first time,” Louganis wrote. “I told the truth; I needed the money. While many people may have built businesses and sold them for a profit, I had my medals, which I am grateful for.”
He added: “If I had proper management, I might not have been in that position, but what is done is done; live and learn.”
Louganis’s medals sold for more than $400,000 at an auction in July. His gold medal from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games sold for $199,301, while his gold medal from the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games sold for $201,314. In Seoul, Louganis became the first man in history in “to sweep the Diving events in consecutive Olympic Games,” according to the Team USA website.
His silver medal, which he won in 1976 at just 16 years old, also sold for $30,250.
Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR Auction, said the sale “speaks volumes” about Louganis’s legacy.
“When an icon like Greg parts with his medals, it’s a moment that goes far beyond the auction block,” Livingston said in a statement. “We were honored to play a role in it.”
Outside of his diving career, Louganis has also been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and HIV/AIDS awareness. The diver came out as gay in 1994 and announced he was HIV-positive a year later. He’s also been outspoken about mental health, addiction, human rights and environmentalism, according to his website.
Now that he’s leaving the U.S., Louganis said he’s excited to discover more about himself.
“Like I said in an earlier post, ‘I was an instrument of my coach's, Ron O'Brien's, creation,’” he said. “I was honored, proud, and blessed to have been that for him. It was all achieved with love at the core.”
“Now I get to discover who is Greg Louganis? Without the distraction and noise from outside,” he continued. “At least this is my goal, and hey, I may not find that.”
