Olympic Legend Jim Thorpe

Premasara EPASINGHE

One day, in the year 1904, senior students in a remote village school in U.S.A. were trying to clear 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 metres). Many tried in the High Jump event, but failed. In one corner of the ground, some children were playing football. After their football sessions, a boy, requested from the coach cum master-in-charge of athletics, to allow him a chance to participate in the High Jump practices.

The teacher smiled and said “O.K. you also try your luck. With the football boots on, in his casual first attempt itself, he cleared the mark – 5 feet 9 inches.

The coach cum master-in-charge opened his big mouth.

“Do you know the seriousness of what you have done.
“No Sir” replied excited boy.

“Remember son, the high jump record, in this school, you have erased with your magnificent jump. The coach – Glen Warner, gave strict instructions to this boy to turn-up athletics practices from tomorrow.

This child's name was Jim Thorpe. Born in 1888, he had a Red Indian and Irish Origin. Although, he was born athlete, his first love “Baseball” and “Football”.

This born talented athlete took part in Pentathlon and Decathlon Events in 1912 Olympics and won gold. He beat Norway's, Ferdinand Bye and won the Pentathlon. Under inclement weather, rain, he collected 8112 points in the Decathlon, pushed Sweden Wiselander to second place.

What are these events titled Pentathlon and Decathlon?

Decathlon sports event, is comprising Ten different Tract and Field activities. They are 100m, long jump, shot-put, high jump, 400m, 110m, hurdles, discuss, pole vault, Javelin and 1500m.

The Pentathlon is an athletic competition that originated in ancient Greece and consisting of five (5) events. The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sports for women, consisting of the 100m hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump and 200m. In 1912 Olympics men also took part in Pentathlon.

Bob Mathais, taking part in Decathlon event in 1948, won the event. His timing was lesser by 0.1 second, in the 110m hurdles than that of Jim Thorpe.

In the awards ceremony, the king of Sweden – Gustan, personally presented Gold, Diamond and Silver present and a beautiful statue to Jim Thorpe. After his magnificent victories in 1912 Olympics, Thorpe, continued playing baseball and football. One day there was a shocking news with a Banner Headline.

“As Jim Thorpe not an Ameature loses his Olympic medals.” The American sports reporter re-produced an old photograph showing Jim Thorpe as a professional Basketball player. All his medals were taken back and his name and records were deleted from the Olympic Record books.

Heartbroken, Jim Thorpe appealed to the American Athletic Association to pardon him, but it all fell on deaf ears.

Jim Thorpe, however, continued, played football and basketball for more than little over four and half decades. Financially he faced many problems and to keep the home fire burning, he played minor roles in films. The 1932 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, “City of Angels” on the Pacific Coast, South West California, U.S.A., the second largest U.S. City after New York. The former Olympian Jim Thorpe was so poor, he could not afford to buy a ticket to witness one of the greater sporting events in the world. After hearing the plight of Thorpe the Vice President of USA Charles Curtis, invited Jim Thorpe as one of his special guests to witness the Los Angeles Olympic. The sports loving public knew that there was injustice meted out to the legendary sportsman, Olympian Thorpe.

For Thorpe's bad luck, in 1912, the National Olympic Committee Chairman was Avery Brandage, who competed with him in 1912 Olympics in the Decathlon Event, where he finished sixth. Although, Thorpe appealed to him to reinstate his Olympic Medals, Brandage was firm with the decision given earlier and Thorpe's requests were turned down. This great athletic and Olympic Gold Medalist Thorpe died of a heart-attack on March 28, 1953. Twenty years after Thorpe's death, the ban on Thorpe was lifted by Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Seventy years after his death the medals won by Jim Thorpe, was handed over to his children.