The 14-page manifesto, outlining de Coubertin’s vision for reviving the ancient Olympic Games as a modern, international athletic competition, attracted a three-way, 12-minute bidding war, which pushed the hammer price to nearly nine times the presale high estimate of $1 million.

Sotheby’s did not disclose the identities of the consignor and the buyer of the manuscript.

The previous world auction record for sports memorabilia was a jersey worn by Babe Ruth, which sold for $5.6 million in June 2019.