Why did Jim Thorpe lose his Olympic medals in 1912?

Answer 1

Jim Thorpe played professional Baseball in 1909 and 1910. Although the Olympic rules of 1912 didn't forbade anyone athlete who played professionally, the Amateur Athletic Union, in 1913, retro-actively stripped Thrope of his medals. Thorpe wrote a letter asking to be excused: "I hope I will be partly excused by the fact that I was simply an Indian schoolboy and did not know all about such things. In fact, I did not know that I was doing wrong, because I was doing what I knew several other college men had done, except that they did not use their own names." The 1912 rules also states if anyone objected to the winner's medals, a complaint must be made within 30 days after the medals are awarded; the complaint was made in 1913-- six months after the games. In 1982, after the support of U.S. Congress, Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals were re-instated to him with two of Thorpe's children receiving commemorative medals. The original two medals awarded to Jim Thrope were stolen from a museum. The United States was a overtly racist society at that time, and it is widely believed he was stripped of his medals because of racism.

Answer 2

He was not allow the play any pro sport before winning his medals. Turns out he played some pro baseball before.

Today, there are 2 Olympic champions in the events in which Thorpe competed in.