THE STORY
In 1913, the International Olympic Committee stripped Jim Thorpe of his 1912 Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon after discovering he had played minor league baseball before the Games, violating amateurism rules. In 1982, the IOC reinstated his medals, and in 2022, recognized him as the sole winner of both events.
TEAMS / PEOPLE:
Jim Thorpe
WHY IT MATTERS
This incident highlights the strict amateurism rules of early 20th-century Olympics and the subsequent reevaluation of those policies. Thorpe's reinstatement underscores the evolving understanding of fairness and justice in sports history.