16. März 2010  
Tokio, Japan  
Artistic Gymnastics

Herman Weingärtners Olympic Medal stolen

Herman Weingärtner: 3 victories, 5 medals at the I. Olympic Games

According to a report by the "Japanese Association for the promotion of Sports and Health" the Olympic Medal belonging to the German gymnast Hermann Weingärtner from Frankfurt - from the first Olympic Games 1896 in Athens was stolen from a museum in Tokio - by who, is unknown.  The winner plakets (the grading Gold / Silver / Bronze were only introduced later) was taken from an unlocked, unguarded vitrine.

Weingärtners family had given the (highbar-) medal to the Japanese Olympic Winner of the all-around competition, Yukio ENDO in 1964 out of respect of his win, as a gift.
(* > Yukio Endo passed away a year ago, in March 2009.)
"The medal is of unmeasurable value for the sports in Japan and in the world", said the frustrated Japanese museum representatives.