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Michael Phelps Once Rejected Tiger Woods’ Close Friend Justin Thomas’ Demand to Safeguard His Biggest Treasure From Theft

Published 07/03/2022, 9:45 AM EDT

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Every person has their passions to follow. As such, they must have a collection of valuables pertaining to these passions. Michael Phelps found his love for swimming at a young age. Although he retired from competitive swimming in 2016, he is still enthusiastic about the sport.

Achieving 28 Olympic medals is no easy feat. It takes years of dedication and hard work. Naturally, the swimmer grew attached to the medals he won during this time.

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The treasure Justin Thomas wanted to see when he visited Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is even protective about his medals and keeps them at an undisclosed location. A remote video conference with professional golfer, Justin Thomas, famously documented an incident involving Phelps’ Olympic medals.

Thomas recounted an incident when the golfer visited Phelps’ house during the conference. The golfer requested the decorated swimmer to see some of his Olympic medals at one point.

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Narrating the events, Thomas said, “I was over at Michael Phelps’ house one time and I asked to see them and he refused to get them because then I would know where they are.”

“You would think when you have that many, it would just be you have one like laying on the kitchen table or something, but apparently not. So that was a swing and a miss there,” joked the golfer, a close friend of Tiger Woods.

It substantiates the claim that the five-time Olympian keeps his medals safely in an unrevealed location. However, the 28-time Olympic medalist had good reasons to decline Thomas’ request.

The values of Olympic medals

The Olympic gold medal’s monetary value stands between $500 and $800. But this value tends to fluctuate with a shift in metal prices. However, the weight of the metals is the only determiner involving the monetary value of the medals.

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But there are sentimental values attached to each medal. Moreover, the association of these medals with a prestigious meet such as the Olympics also increases their value manifold. And the black market value makes these medals even more precious.

via Imago

As per reports, the price of Olympic medals on the black market is much higher because of increasing demands from collectors of such items. Its rarity in the market also accounts for its exorbitant prices and the fancy of every collector’s dream.

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Perhaps Phelps made the right decision of not divulging the location of his medals. Whatever the case, his treasures are safe for now.

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Written by:

Aklanta Chetia

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Aklanta Chetia Wanniang is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi. With an interest in learning about multiple sports, Aklanta himself is a former sportsperson and has participated in state and national level swimming events.
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Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar