ATLANTA — An Olympic medalist is reunited with his gold medal – all thanks to a little girl.
The medal was stolen in a car break-in two weeks ago.
Joe Jacobi and his family were having dinner at La Fonda on Howell Mill Road in northwest Atlanta on June 6.
When Jacobi returned to his car, the window had been broken, and quickly discovered something close to him had been taken -- the gold medal he won for white water canoe slalom in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The thief also took Jacobi’s laptop, journal and other possessions. Those were later found in a bag near a dumpster at an apartment complex in downtown Atlanta, but the medal was not with them.
On Saturday, 6-year-old Chloe Smith saw the shiny medal while walking on North Grand Avenue NW. Her dad said he remembered seeing Jacobi win the medal in 1992 and quickly realized it was his prized possession.
“So we're proud of her. She's proud of herself also,” said Wayne Smith.
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Jacobi met with Smith to thank him, Chloe was on a family trip at the time.
Jacobi praised the little girl for her actions.
“She is so giving and so kind -- the exact kind of spirit that we have found through this journey of people who want to help get this medal back to us so that we can get it out and share it with this community," Jacobi said.
Police have not found the person who broke into Jacobi’s car.
Cox Media Group
