The Hellenic Olympic Committee has criticized one of the country's most celebrated Olympians, weightlifter Pyrros Dimas, for auctioning off an Olympic torch he carried, stating the act violates the principles of the Olympic Movement even if done for a charitable cause.
Mr. Dimas, a four-time Olympic medalist, appeared on a television show where he auctioned the torch he carried as the final torchbearer in Greece ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
The auction raised €10,200, which Mr. Dimas donated to a children's charity.
However, the move drew a sharp rebuke from the Olympic Committee.
In a letter, the committee stated that the Olympic torch is a "sacred relic" and that its use for "promotion, advertising, or commercialization… contradicts the principles governing the Olympic Movement."
Both international and Greek law prohibit the commercial exploitation of Olympic symbols.
While acknowledging the charitable purpose of the auction, the committee called the televised event an "inappropriate connection that could mislead the public" and asked the broadcaster to refrain from airing such content in the future.