TULSA, Okla. — An honor that is over a century in the making. 110 years after being revoked of his medals and wins, Jim Thorpe is now the sole and rightful winner of 1912 Decathalon and Pentathlon.
Bright Path Strong announced on Facebook that a petition they started gained 75,000 signatures to restore Thorpe's win and was sent to the International Olympics Committee (IOC). The IOC voted in favor of the petition and now Thorpe's legacy is back on top of the podium as the sole winner.
Jim Thorpe was believed to be born in 1887 near Prague which was considered to be Indian Country at the time. He was a part of the Sac and Fox and Potawatomi Nations and was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics. Thorpe is considered to be one of the first celebrity athletes in sports history.
The 1912 Olympics were held in Stockholm, Sweden and Thorpe was the center of attention during the games. King Gustaf V even declared Thorpe "the World's Greatest Athlete" after his strong performances while competing.
Thorpe represented America in the Olympics before Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship. He faced an immense amount of scrutiny, jealousy, and racism while he competed.
Despite such strong opposition, Thorpe would eventually receive a gold medal in both the Decathalon and Pentathlon events. However, the glory of the wins would not last long. Six months later, Thorpe was stripped of his medals after it was announced he was paid while playing minor league baseball.
According to ESPN,it was reported Thorpe received about $2 per game, sometimes earning up to $35 in a week while playing baseball. With today's inflation, that comes out to $65 a game with the potential to earn $1,139 a week.
The IOC's rule, at the time, was only amateur athletes could compete in the Olympics. Due to being paid, Thorpe was considered to be a professional athlete. With this revelation, the medals were revoked and Thorpe's win was erased due to violating the rules.
According to Bright Path Strong, Thorpe's own coach, along with others, took his medals and trophies to send back to the IOC when Thorpe wasn't home.
Despite all the controversy, Bright Path Strong says Thorpe never complained about the decision or even talked about it much. He instead switched gears and helped found the National Football League, as well as continuing to play baseball and basketball professionally.
Thorpe eventually retired from sports in his 40s and transitioned to working in the entertainment industry as an actor until he died in 1953 at the age of 65.
Thorpe's family still lobbied on his behalf for him to be reinstated for his wins. Eventually, the IOC reinstated Thorpe in 1982, but only as a co-champion for both the Decathlon and Pentathlon, according to ESPN.
Now, 110 years later, the IOC is declaring that Thorpe is the sole and only winner of both sport events in the 1912 Olympics.
Bright Strong Path co-founder Nedra Darling says, “We are so grateful this nearly 110-year-old injustice has been corrected. Finally, there is no confusion about the most remarkable athlete in history.”
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