answersLogoWhite

0

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.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago

Still curious? Ask our experts.

Chat with our AI personalities

LaoLao
The path is yours to walk; I am only here to hold up a mirror.
Chat with Lao
MaxineMaxine
I respect you enough to keep it real.
Chat with Maxine
BlakeBlake
As your older brother, I've been where you are—maybe not exactly, but close enough.
Chat with Blake
More answers

Jim Thorpe won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

User Avatar

Wiki User

17y ago
User Avatar

Jim Thorpe won two gold medals in the 1912 Summer Olypics in decathlon and pentathlon.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago
User Avatar

Yes in 1933 30 years after his death the International Olympic Committee restored his Olympics medals.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago
User Avatar

Yes

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
User Avatar

Yes

User Avatar

Anonymous

4y ago
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why were Jim thorpe's medals taken away?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp