A Gold Medal Ment So Much

We since the 2008 Summer Olympics are soon approaching I felt this was an important headline from 1912. In 1912, Jim Thorpe from the United States competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Sweden. Even though Jim Thorpe succeeded beyond anyone's expectations bringing home gold after participated in the pentathlon and decathlon, his glory was soon taken away. Thorpe's medals were soon stripped from him due to a violation with the principals of amateurism brought up from AAU. They felt since Thorpe played professional baseball, he was not longer considered an amateur athlete. After doing more research I believe Jim Thorpe was also the first athlete this happened to which makes more sense to why this was such a huge issue. Also he was one of the last athletes to receive actual gold for a medal. ( After the 1912 Olympics the medals were no longer made of gold but now dipped in gold.) 

I can't believe this was even such a big issue. Now, almost all of our Olympics athletes compete on professional levels at the Olympics. Something that was so small turned out to be so big. It was not even until 1982, seventy years later, when they finally started to reinstate Thorpe's medals. Today, Jim Thorpe rests in peace in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, which is very close to my hometown which is another reason why this headline jumped out at me. There not only Jim Thorpe has the town name but also a momument to honor him.