Magnificent winner’s medal issued to Soviet Union ice hockey player Sergei Starikov for the Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics. Silver, 80 mm, 208 gm, by Tiffany and Co. of New York. The front, inscribed “XIII Olympic Winter Games,” depicts a raised hand holding the Olympic torch against a mountain backdrop, with the Olympic rings to the right side; the reverse, inscribed “Lake Placid 1980,” features a small Lake Placid Games emblem and a large pine branch with cones, with the sport engraved below, “Ice Hockey.” Inscribed on the bottom edge, “Tiffany & Co., Sterling Silver, 1979.” The top edge features a small bored hole that was made to attach the original white-and-blue ribbon, which is included. Also included is its beautiful original presentation case by Tiffany’s (with its protective white box), the original silver medal winner’s diploma, and a letter of authenticity and a photo that are both signed by Starikov.
During his legendary career, Soviet defenseman Sergei Starikov won nine national titles and participated in three Olympic tournaments, winning gold in Sarajevo and Calgary, and silver in Lake Placid—all three of Starikov’s medals are being offered in this auction. Starikov would appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he became one of the first Soviet players to wear an NHL uniform when he joined the New Jersey Devils in 1989, along with his friend and defensive partner from the Soviet team, Viacheslav Fetisov.
The 1980 Lake Placid Olympics have become synonymous with the storied ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey match between the heavily favored Soviet Union and the United States. While the Americans famously won the contest with a stirring 4-3 victory, subsequently winning the gold medal against Finland two days later on February 24, the USSR and Sweden would battle for a silver medal at the Olympic Fieldhouse just hours afterward, with the Soviets giving no quarter to their Scandinavian opponents. Awarded to Starikov, an integral member of the vaunted Soviet national team, this beautiful silver medal is one of only 74 issued at the Lake Placid Games, making it quite rare. As an example awarded for ice hockey—one of the most popular winter sports—it is of the utmost desirability.
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