New York (AFP)
The original manifesto of the Olympic Games written by Pierre de Coubertin was auctioned off in New York on Wednesday for 8.8 million dollars (7.9 million euros), Sotheby's announced.
The 14-page manuscript, estimated before the auction at $ 1 million, has multiplied its value by almost nine after 12 minutes of auction and becomes the most expensive sports souvenir in history, the company added.
The record has so far been held, according to Sotheby's, by a jersey of baseball legend Babe Ruth, sold for $ 5.6 million last June.
"Today's record result is a testament to Pierre de Coubertin's vision over a century ago, and to the reverence with which the Olympics continue to be held," said auctioneer Selby. kiffer.
The manifesto is the only known copy of the speech made by the French aristocrat in Paris in 1892, in which he proposed to resuscitate the ancient Olympic Games, in the name of the positive impact of sporting activity on individuals and society.
Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee two years later and the first Games were held in 1896 in Athens.
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