Though it appears inconceivable, one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century had long been denied his plaudits. It took until the 15th of July, 2022, for his legacy and achievements to be restored. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) finally relented. Native American athlete Jim Thorpe won two gold medals in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He had to return them not long after due to a violation pertaining to amateurism. While his career took him to other sports, Thorpe’s biggest accomplishments were denied him.

Jim Thorpe’s decision to play semi-pro baseball in 1909 and 1910 had consequences. His family received two replica gold medals about 30 years after his demise. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, he was named co-champion and not outright winner then. It would be mid-2022 when the IOC named Thorpe the sole winner and officially amended the Olympic record.

Shoes from a trash can to win Olympic gold

Before the second day of the three-day decathlon, Jim Thorpe’s shoes went missing. Fishing a “pair” out of a trash can, Thorpe proceeded to compete. He also had to put on extra socks as one of the shoes was too big for him. Funnily enough, with that mismatched pair, he won the high jump and the 110-meter hurdles. He also set a record for the 1500-meter race in those shoes. His inexperience in the pole vault and javelin cost him, as he finished third and fourth in them, respectively. Regardless, he won the gold medal in the decathlon.

Earlier, Jim Thorpe had won the gold medal in the pentathlon. Of the fifteen comprising both events in total, he placed first in eight of them. Some of the records he set would stand for at least five decades. An image of the Olympic hero in those mismatched shoes and extra socks is presently doing the rounds. The story adjoining that image triggered an outpouring of admiration from the general public.

A great athlete and an absolute legend

The adulation was no less than Jim Thorpe deserved. Though not the only Native American athlete or medalist in Stockholm, Thorpe set the Olympic world alight. Not many were aware of the story behind the image. As one response had it, “I had learned of Jim Thorpe when I was a child in school but never knew the story of the shoes and socks. Thank you for this beautiful share”

No athlete has won both the pentathlon and decathlon since. To do that in shoes that did not fit properly was improbable. One fan put it in perspective with the words, “Amazing man for all he went through to show his incredible athletic prowess. He showed the world strength, courage, and resilience.”

King Gustav V dubbed Jim Thorpe the greatest athlete in the world. Another partly echoed the same sentiment, saying, “Goes to show that a person can do anything they try to do!! He was a great athlete, and proudly ran for his country.”

An example of similar fortitude is difficult to find. Olympians have come back from disastrous situations and the like. Even so, no notable example springs to mind where time was that close to running out. One fan pointed out the same with the words, “Amazing and resourceful under what would have been stressful circumstances. Absolute legend.”

Jim Thorpe did more than just compete. He set records that could have stood the test of time. One fan speculated as to the damage he could have done with a proper pair of shoes, writing, “Imagine the records he could have broken wearing the kinds of athletic footwear we have today. My grandfather would say, don’t blame the tools, just get on with the task and meet the challenge. Jim Thorpe did all that, and made history for his people and the Nation.”

Read More – 111 Year Old Story of American Athlete Using Shoes Out of Trash Can to Win Olympic Gold Medal Goes Viral

Jim Thorpe’s accomplishments are now back in the Olympic record. That happy event took its time to materialize but materialize it did. They are once more the talk of the town. One can only hope that his name will live on in glory. His legacy has been restored and it will hopefully stay that way.

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