Jim Thorpe

Thorpe, one of the greatest athletes in history, was stripped of his decathlon and pentathlon titles for violating rules against professionalism.

But the next year it emerged that Thorpe had earned $25 a week playing minor league baseball a few years before. He won both, was hailed internationally and joined a ticker-tape parade for Olympics stars up Broadway in New York. The Times reported that Thorpe received the most cheers, alongside Pat McDonald, a shot-putter who was a Times Square traffic policeman. The International Olympic Committee’s recognition of Thorpe, announced on Friday, comes 40 years after it restored him as a co-winner of both events. Restoring Thorpe’s medals has long been a cause for Native American and other activists, who in recent years had renewed petition drives and lobbied the I.O.C. for the change. Thorpe, who excelled at a dozen or more sports, had dominated his two events at the 1912 Games in Stockholm but was stripped of his medals after it emerged that he had earned a few dollars briefly playing professional baseball before his Olympic career. “It is addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the concerned National Olympic Committees.”

After decades of advocacy and pressure, the IOC reversed its decision to strip Thorpe of two gold medals from 1912.

Over the years, critics called on the IOC to make Thorpe the sole winner. The decision comes after years of public pressure and advocacy, most recently by the Bright Path Strong organization and Anita DeFrantz, the longtime IOC member. Avery Brundage, a dominating leader of American Olympic sports through the mid 20th century and the IOC’s president for 20 years, strongly opposed returning Thorpe’s gold medals. “We offer our sincere thanks to Anita DeFrantz, the Bright Path Strong organization, and all who worked tirelessly toward this solution.” “This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned.” The severity of his violation has long been debated, as college athletes in those days often played baseball for cash but did so under assumed names.

It's been over a century, but Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe will finally be recognized for his sporting dominance. On Friday, the International Olympic ...

In 1982, the IOC Executive Board restored Thorpe's status as an amateur, then presented his family with two medals in a ceremony. This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned," IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement. At the time, Hugo K. Wieslander was named as the gold medalist in decathlon as a result.

Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm — nearly 110 years after being stripped of those ...

Two years ago, a Bright Path Strong petition advocated declaring Thorpe the outright winner of the pentathlon and decathlon in 1912. “This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned.” Thorpe, a Native American, returned to a ticker-tape parade in New York, but months later it was discovered he had been paid to play minor league baseball over two summers, an infringement of the Olympic amateurism rules.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm — nearly 110 years ...

“This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned.” Two years ago, a Bright Path Strong petition advocated declaring Thorpe the outright winner of the pentathlon and decathlon in 1912. Thorpe, a Native American, returned to a ticker-tape parade in New York, but months later it was discovered he had been paid to play minor league baseball over two summers, an infringement of the Olympic amateurism rules. To some, Thorpe remains the greatest all-around athlete ever. “The same declaration was received from the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, whose athlete, Ferdinand Bie, was named as the gold medalist when Thorpe was stripped of the pentathlon title,” the IOC said. “They confirmed that Wieslander himself had never accepted the Olympic gold medal allocated to him, and had always been of the opinion that Jim Thorpe was the sole legitimate Olympic gold medalist,” the IOC said, adding that the Swedish Olympic Committee agreed.

The legendary athlete is declared the sole winner of the Olympic pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm — nearly 110 years after being stripped of those gold ...

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Thorpe was stripped of the medals for having played professional baseball before the 1912 Games, making him no longer an amateur athlete.

"This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned." Wieslander and Bie's names will be displayed as silver medalists in their respective competitions. The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports gave the same confirmation regarding Ferdinand Bie, the man who was given Thorpe's gold medal in the pentathlon event.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm -- nearly 110 years ...

"This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned." Two years ago, a Bright Path Strong petition advocated declaring Thorpe the outright winner of the pentathlon and decathlon in 1912. Thorpe, a Native American, returned to a ticker-tape parade in New York, but months later it was discovered he had been paid to play minor league baseball over two summers, an infringement of the Olympic amateurism rules.

It's been over a century, but Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe will finally be recognized for his sporting dominance. On Friday, the International Olympic ...

In 1982, the IOC Executive Board restored Thorpe's status as an amateur, then presented his family with two medals in a ceremony. This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned," IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement. At the time, Hugo K. Wieslander was named as the gold medalist in decathlon as a result.

Jim Thorpe, a Native American athlete, was stripped of his medals a year after the 1912 Olympics after it was discovered he had made a small sum of money ...

"This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned." and a fanatical devotion to the idea of amateurism," the New York Times explained. "When Jim's medals were rescinded after his brilliant performances in Stockholm, the move went against Olympic rules, common sense, and public opinion."

The International Olympic Committee announced Friday that Jim Thorpe will be named as the sole gold medalist for the pentathlon and decathlon in the 1912 ...

This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. Thorpe was not the only Olympic athlete to ever play professionally. The International Olympic Committee announced the decision Friday, on the 110th anniversary of Thorpe’s gold medal wins.