Gold Medal For a Fallen Olympian

Daniel Gyurta and Alexander Dale Oen

In an incredible act of sportsmanship, Olympic gold medalist Daniel Gyurta has pledged that he will share his victory with a fallen friend. Earlier this year Norwegian swimmer Alexander Dale Oen passed away unexpectedly from cardiac arrest. Later reports found he had been suffering from heart disease, a fact which had left his friends and fellow swimmers in shock. Oen had been seen as a favorite for the Olympics gold after he won the 100m breaststroke championships less than a year ago and his passing has affected many whose lives he had touched.

When Daniel Gyurta won gold in the 200m men's breaststroke, he decided to honor the memory of his friend and fellow swimmer in the best way he knew how. He is sending his gold medal off to be replicated in exact detail so that he may send a copy of it to Oen's family. Sharing a gold medal is no small deal either as it marks Gyruta as one of the best swimmers in the world, a title he is more than happy to share with his friend.

"I’m sure that he would have won the 100 here in London," Gyurta said, according to the Guardian. "This is the least I can do to pay respect to my friend."