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FILE - Big Jim Thorpe, famed American athlete and former U.S. Olympic great, center, sets a fast pace for some girls during a "junior olympics" event on Chicago's south side June 6, 1948 sponsored by a V.F.W. post. Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon — nearly 110 years after being stripped of those gold medals for violations of strict amateurism rules of the time. The International Olympic Committee confirmed that an announcement was planned later Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo, File)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm — nearly 110 years after being stripped of those gold medals for violations of strict amateurism rules of the time.
The International Olympic Committee announced the change Friday on the 110th anniversary of Thorpe winning the decathlon and later being proclaimed by King Gustav V of Sweden as “the greatest athlete in the world.”
Thorpe, a Native American, returned to a ticker-tape parade in New York, but months later it was discovered he had been paid to play minor league baseball over two summers, an infringement of the Olympic amateurism rules. He was stripped of his gold medals in what was described as the first major international sports scandal.
Thorpe to some remains the greatest all-around athlete ever. He was voted as the Associated Press’ Athlete of the Half Century in a poll in 1950.
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FILE - This is an undated photo of Jim Thorpe in a baseball uniform. Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon — nearly 110 years after being stripped of those gold medals for violations of strict amateurism rules of the time. The International Olympic Committee confirmed that an announcement was planned later Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo, File)
In 1982 — 29 years after Thorpe’s death — the IOC gave duplicate gold medals to his family but his Olympic records were not reinstated, nor was his status as the sole gold medalist of the two events.
Two years ago, a Bright Path Strong petition advocated declaring Thorpe the outright winner of the pentathlon and decathlon in 1912. The IOC had listed him as a co-champion in the official record book.
“We welcome the fact that, thanks to the great engagement of Bright Path Strong, a solution could be found,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “This is a most exceptional and unique situation, which has been addressed by an extraordinary gesture of fair play from the National Olympic Committees concerned.”
Thorpe’s Native American name, Wa-Tho-Huk, means “Bright Path.” The organization with the help of IOC member Anita DeFrantz had contacted the Swedish Olympic Committee and the family of Hugo Wieslander, who had been elevated to decathlon gold medalist in 1913.
“They confirmed that Wieslander himself had never accepted the Olympic gold medal allocated to him, and had always been of the opinion that Jim Thorpe was the sole legitimate Olympic gold medallist,” the IOC said, adding that the Swedish Olympic Committee agreed.
“The same declaration was received from the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, whose athlete, Ferdinand Bie, was named as the gold medalist when Thorpe was stripped of the pentathlon title,” the IOC said.
Bie will be listed as the silver medalist in the pentathlon, and Wieslander with silver in the decathlon.
World Athletics, the governing body of track and field, has also agreed to amend its records, the IOC said.
Thorpe tripled the score of his nearest competitor in the pentathlon and had 688 more points than the second-place finisher in the decathlon.
During the closing ceremony, King Gustav V told Thorpe: “Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world.”
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Members of the athletics team of the US Princeton University pose at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium in April 1896 in Athens, Greece. From left to right: Francis A. Lane, Herbert Jamison, Robert Garrett and Albert Tyler. (AP Photo)
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Members of the athletics team of the US Princeton University pose at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium in April 1896 in Athens, Greece. From left to right: Francis A. Lane, Herbert Jamison, Robert Garrett and Albert Tyler. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Statue of Greek businessman and philanthropist George Averoff (Georgios Averof), who sponsored the refurbishment of the Panathinaiko Stadium at the entrance to the stadium where the first modern International Summer Olympic Games will be held at the Panathinaiko Stadium in April 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Statue of Greek businessman and philanthropist George Averoff (Georgios Averof), who sponsored the refurbishment of the Panathinaiko Stadium at the entrance to the stadium where the first modern International Summer Olympic Games will be held at the Panathinaiko Stadium in April 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Members of the German team pose in April 1896 aboard a ship on their way to the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Members of the German team pose in April 1896 aboard a ship on their way to the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Cyclists line up at the start of the 12 hour race at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome in Athens, Greece, the final event of the first modern International Summer Olympic Games on April 12, 1896. Austrian cyclist Adolf Schmal won with 315 km followed by British cyclist Frank Keeping. (AP Photo)
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Cyclists line up at the start of the 12 hour race at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome in Athens, Greece, the final event of the first modern International Summer Olympic Games on April 12, 1896. Austrian cyclist Adolf Schmal won with 315 km followed by British cyclist Frank Keeping. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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General view of the huge audience at the opening of the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 6, 1896 in Athens, Greece. Standing in the front row are members of nine Greek military and navy bands and 150 choir singers that performed the Olympic Hymn. (AP Photo)
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General view of the huge audience at the opening of the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 6, 1896 in Athens, Greece. Standing in the front row are members of nine Greek military and navy bands and 150 choir singers that performed the Olympic Hymn. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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James Brendan Bennet Connolly from South Boston, USA, poses with a flag at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 6, 1896 in Athens, Greece where he won the gold medal in triple jump with 13.71 meters. (AP Photo)
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James Brendan Bennet Connolly from South Boston, USA, poses with a flag at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 6, 1896 in Athens, Greece where he won the gold medal in triple jump with 13.71 meters. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Harvard student Ellery Harding Clark from Boston, USA, poses with a flag at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 7, 1896 in Athens, Greece where he won the gold medal both in high jump (2.81 meters) and long jump (6.35 meters). (AP Photo)
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Harvard student Ellery Harding Clark from Boston, USA, poses with a flag at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 7, 1896 in Athens, Greece where he won the gold medal both in high jump (2.81 meters) and long jump (6.35 meters). (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Members of the Greek and French fencing team in action during the foil final in front of spectators at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Zappeion on April 7, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Members of the Greek and French fencing team in action during the foil final in front of spectators at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Zappeion on April 7, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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The Greek royal family at the opening of cycling events at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome on April 8, 1896 in Athens, Greece. Saluting at center is Greek King George and Crown Prince Constantine I at right. (AP Photo)
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The Greek royal family at the opening of cycling events at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome on April 8, 1896 in Athens, Greece. Saluting at center is Greek King George and Crown Prince Constantine I at right. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Member of the German gymnastics team Karl Schumann (also Carl Schuhmann), shows his gold medal winning routine at the vaulting horse (vault or Pommel horse) at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 9, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Member of the German gymnastics team Karl Schumann (also Carl Schuhmann), shows his gold medal winning routine at the vaulting horse (vault or Pommel horse) at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 9, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Members of the winning German gymnastics team with team leader Fritz Hofmann, show their routine at the parallel bars in front of spectators at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 9, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Members of the winning German gymnastics team with team leader Fritz Hofmann, show their routine at the parallel bars in front of spectators at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 9, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Members of the winning German gymnastics team with team leader Fritz Hofmann, show their routine at the horizontal bars in front of spectators at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 9, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Members of the winning German gymnastics team with team leader Fritz Hofmann, show their routine at the horizontal bars in front of spectators at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 9, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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Greek athlete Nikolaos Andriakopoulos on his way to win the gold medal in the rope climbing event at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 10, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Greek athlete Nikolaos Andriakopoulos on his way to win the gold medal in the rope climbing event at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Panathinaiko Stadium on April 10, 1896 in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo)
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Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
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German tennis player Friedrich Traun and Irish player John Pius Boland, members of the mixed team in the men's doubles final at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Athens Lawn Tennis Club on April 11, 1896 in Athens, Greece won the gold medal against Greek players Dionysios Kasdaglis and Demetrios Petrokokkinos. (AP Photo)
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German tennis player Friedrich Traun and Irish player John Pius Boland, members of the mixed team in the men's doubles final at the first modern International Summer Olympic Games held at the Athens Lawn Tennis Club on April 11, 1896 in Athens, Greece won the gold medal against Greek players Dionysios Kasdaglis and Demetrios Petrokokkinos. (AP Photo)
