Jim Thorpe sprinted across the finish line at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, and shocked the world. Not only had the U.S. athlete won first place in the decathlon, a track and field competition consisting of 10 events, he had done so in extraordinary fashion. Nobody would beat his overall point score for another four Olympics.
To top it off, it was the second gold medal Thorpe earned at the Games. He had also won the pentathlon (a now-defunct five-event track and field competition).
After the decathlon, Thorpe stood on the podium as King Gustav V of Sweden placed a gold medal around his neck.
“You, sir,” Gustav said, “are the greatest athlete in the world.”
It was a remarkable sight, made more so by the discrimination Thorpe had to overcome back at home. As a Native American, he was denied citizenship by the U.S. government and attended schools designed to strip Native children and teens of their culture. Yet here he was, being celebrated on the world stage as an American hero.
Jim Thorpe sprinted across the finish line at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. It was a victory that shocked the world. The U.S. athlete had won first place in the decathlon, a track and field competition consisting of 10 events. And he had set records in doing so. In fact, nobody would beat his total point score for another four Olympics.
To top it off, it was the second gold medal Thorpe earned at the Games. He had also won the pentathlon (a now-discontinued five-event track and field competition).
After the decathlon, Thorpe stood on the podium as King Gustav V of Sweden placed a gold medal around his neck.
“You, sir,” Gustav said, “are the greatest athlete in the world.”
It was a remarkable sight. But the discrimination Thorpe had to overcome back at home made it even more surprising. As a Native American, he was denied citizenship by the U.S. government. He was forced to attend schools designed to strip Native children and teens of their culture. Yet here he was, being celebrated on the world stage as an American hero.