Rio 2016: Polish discus thrower sells Olympic silver medal to raise money for three-year-old with cancer

“If you help me, my silver can be more precious than gold,” Malachowski said in his original appeal via Facebook

Piotr Malachowski with his silver medal (Getty)

Polish discus thrower Piotr Malachowski has donated his Olympic silver medal to raise funds for a three-year-old boy with a rare form of cancer.

Malachowski threw 67.55m to claim silver, finishing 82cm adrift of Germany’s Christoph Harting who took gold.

It was the 33-year-old’s second Olympic medal having taken silver back in 2008 at Beijing.

His donation enabled compatriot Olek Szymanski, who has retinoblastoma (an eye cancer affecting young children), to fly to New York to undergo treatment.

"My silver medal is worth a lot more than a week ago," said Malachowski.

"It is worth the health of little Olek."

He added: "We were able to show that together we can do wonders. It is our great shared success.

Piotr Malachowski threw 67.55m to take silver (Getty)

"Winning an Olympic medal is one of an athlete's life dreams. Of course, the most precious is gold.

"I did everything in my power to get it. Unfortunately this time I did not succeed."

Malachowski made his original appeal via Facebook where he remarked: “In Rio I fought for the gold. Today I appeal to everyone ― let’s fight together about something that is even more precious: the health of this fantastic boy.

“If you help me, my silver can be more precious than gold.”