John Harrington played on the right wing in the legendary ice hockey game in Lake Placid which saw a side made up of college and amateur level players beat a Soviet Union team, winners of the gold medal in five of the six previous Olympic Games.

Following a nail biting start, the US managed to snatch victory in an incendiary third period that is remembered as one of the greatest sporting moments in history.

The sale follows on from the $657,250 (£419,450/€524,850) paid for captain Mike Eruzione's jersey last year, a record for an Olympic uniform at auction.

The United States victory over the Sovet Union to claim the ice hockey gold medal at Lake Placid in 1980 remains an iconic moment in American sports history
©Hulton Archive/Getty Images



Two game-worn jerseys of forward Phil Verchota were also sold this year on February 23.

"The appearance of a third Miracle jersey in a two-year period must not mislead any collector into believing that another will surface any time soon, as all available examples could still be counted on a single hand," Heritage commented prior to the sale.

"It is a piece that matches the intrigue and importance of any artefact on display in the Hall of Fame or the Smithsonian Museum, and a reminder that, with hard work and determination, anything is possible."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
May 2014: "Miracle on Ice" Olympic gold medal sells for $262,900