The Stockholm Games of 1912

The Stockholm Games of 1912

The 1912 Olympics were held May 5^th to July 27 in Stockholm, Sweden and were officially opened by King Gustav V of Sweden.  “The 1912 Olympics at Stockholm were known as the "Swedish Masterpiece" because they were so well organized.”  (Rosenberg)  The Stockholm Games represented efficiency with the introduction of new technologies by the Swedes; i.e., automatic timing devices for the track events, the photo finish and a public address system.  In addition, this was the first time in Olympic history that competitors from all five continents were represented, and for the first time in Olympic history, Japan participated.  “The modern pentathlon, women’s swimming and women’s diving all made their Olympic debuts.” (Stockholm 1912)  Ironically, for all of its efficiencies and innovations, the last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912.  (Rosenberg)

The most memorable and controversial story of the Stockholm Games is the story of Jim Thorpe…

I remember when I was first introduced to this name, about five years ago.  My former supervisor had to attend a meeting out in Jim Thorpe, PA.  I remember thinking: what kind of a name is that for a town?  All I knew about this place was that it was out in the central mountains of Pennsylvania.  I later learned that it was named after a Native American athlete; however, I never bothered to see who he was or why.  It wasn’t until doing this assignment that I managed to obtain any clarity on Jim Thorpe... Interesting.

When Jim was 24 years old, he sailed with the American team to participate in the 1912 Games.  Jim Thorn, a Native American from Oklahoma, was described by King Gustav V of Sweden as "the greatest athlete in the world" and won the pentathlon and decathlon by huge margins. (Stockholm 1912) Tragically, Jim was stripped of his medals and his records were removed from the books because he had played semi-professional baseball for a modest sum of money.  Unfortunately, the Olympics Committee had strict policies regarding receiving compensation for professional sports, and this adversely affected Jim Thorpe.  However, in 1982, Thorpe's medals were finally restored to him posthumously in 1982. In addition, and most importantly to his family, his name was put back into the record books.  (Biography: The Estate of Jim Thorpe)

Later in life, and after athletics, two monumental honors were bestowed unto Thorpe in 1950 when he was named "the greatest American football player" and the "greatest overall male athlete" by the Associated Press.  Moreover, in 1950, the nation's press selected Jim Thorpe as the most outstanding athlete of the first half of the 20th Century and in 1996-2001, he was awarded ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Century. (Biography: The Estate of Jim Thorpe)

In the end, I am wondering why Jim Thorpe was targeted whereby his name and reputation had to be damaged and surrounded by so much controversy.  I hate to make everything racial, but deep down that is the only conclusion that I come up with it.  Who could accept that a Native American could very well be the “World’s Greatest Athlete" in 1912?  My guess would be not many. 

Works CitedBiography: The Estate of Jim Thorpe. (n.d.). Retrieved 14 October, 2013, from The Estate of Jim Thorpe:                    http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/bio/bio.htmlRosenberg, J. (n.d.). History of the Olympics, 1912 Stockholm, Sweden. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from                    About.com: http://history1900s.about.com/od/fadsfashion/a/olympics1912.htm
Stockholm 1912. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2013, from Olympic.org:                                                                      http://www.olympic.org/content/olympic-games/all-past-olympic-games/summer-games/stockholm-1912/