Four Olympic medals stolen from Australian rower’s car

() – Police arrested and charged a man for the alleged theft of four Olympic medals belonging to Australian rower Drew Ginn. However, the medals (three gold and one silver) are still missing.

The 47-year-old man, who was wanted for an alleged robbery, was arrested on Wednesday in Brunswick, a northern suburb of Melbourne. Authorities said Ginn’s medals are believed to have been stolen from the back of a Land Rover parked in the Victorian capital about a week ago.

A GoPro camera, headphones and a wetsuit were also stolen; Police said Ginn had left them and the medals inside his car during a conference at a school.

Ginn is one of Australia’s most decorated Olympians and was a member of the champion rowing team known as “The Oarsome Foursome.”

He won the medals during a nearly two-decade Olympic career that began at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and continued through the 2012 London Olympics.

“They are very valuable to family and friends… but they cannot be insured,” Ginn told public broadcaster ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.

“They were hiding in the car, but the vehicle was completely ransacked, so many things were broken and destroyed,” he added.

The 49-year-old expressed hope that, rather than being sold, the medals could be returned to their rightful owner.

“There may be a market for this kind of thing, but hopefully there is some level of wisdom, and in the end, I know other medals have been returned in years past, so we hope that happens in this case,” Ginn said.

The Police published a photograph of the medals and asked people to be alert in case they see them for sale in pawn shops or online platforms.

The alleged thief was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, obtaining property by deception, obtaining financial advantage by deception and handling stolen property.