Greek Olympic Committee Slams Olympian for Auctioning Torch

The Hellenic Olympic Committee has criticized 1 of the country's astir celebrated Olympians, weightlifter Pyrros Dimas, for auctioning disconnected an Olympic torch helium carried, stating the enactment violates the principles of the Olympic Movement adjacent if done for a charitable cause.

Mr. Dimas, a four-time Olympic medalist, appeared connected a tv amusement wherever helium auctioned the torch helium carried arsenic the last torchbearer successful Greece up of the 2012 London Olympics.

The auction raised €10,200, which Mr. Dimas donated to a children's charity.

However, the determination drew a crisp rebuke from the Olympic Committee.

In a letter, the committee stated that the Olympic torch is simply a "sacred relic" and that its usage for "promotion, advertising, oregon commercialization… contradicts the principles governing the Olympic Movement."

Both planetary and Greek instrumentality prohibit the commercialized exploitation of Olympic symbols.

While acknowledging the charitable intent of the auction, the committee called the televised lawsuit an "inappropriate transportation that could mislead the public" and asked the broadcaster to refrain from airing specified contented successful the future.