The case of Olympic champion Jim Thorpe is officially closed. The athlete, who won two gold medals under five rings and was subsequently deprived of them, finally received justice. Unfortunately, it is almost 70 years since his death, but the award honors his memory.
The American was voted the best athlete of the first half of the 20th century. In Stockholm 1912 he won Olympic gold in the pentathlon and decathlon. But why was such a phenomenon defended by success?
Previously, Olympic athletes had to carry the status of amateurs. There was no place for professionals. The talented all-rounder played in one of the lower baseball leagues in the USA in 1910 and was paid two US dollars for each game. Upon discovery of this fact, he was stripped of his amateur status by the United States Amateur Athletic Association and stripped of his two Olympic titles.
The decision was controversial mainly for Native American communities. Thorpe was the first Native American to win a gold medal. “It is a very exceptional and unique situation that was resolved by an extraordinary gesture of fair play on the part of the National Olympic Committees,” International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said according to espn.com.
“We are grateful that this injustice has been put right after 110 years and there will be no more confusion about one of history’s most remarkable athletes.said Nedra Darling, co-founder of Bright Path Strong, a group created to bring back the medals.
The victory was awarded to Thorpe already in 1982, but then he was announced as a joint winner with Hugo Wieslander (decathlon) and Ferdinand Bi (pentathlon). He was now announced as the sole winner of both races.
Jim Thorpe is a hero to the Native American community, representing this land even before Native Americans were recognized as legal citizens. He took the removal of the medals with calmness, humility and understanding, even though he also felt hurt. The verdict of recognition as the sole winner came precisely on the 110th anniversary of his wins. After his Olympic triumphs, Thorpe played baseball in the MLB and American football in the NFL.
The following medals were contested at the last Olympics:
TN.cz Michal Krobot
