Talk:Jim Thorpe

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Hmmm... looks like we should probably find something more about his childhood and about his life after Stockholm (he was one of the early stars of the National Football League), and a picture might be nice too. - jredmond 03:39, 2 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I believe some of the facts are mistaken. I have read from several sources that he was 5'11'' 180 in his 1912 football season and that his mother was 1/4 french. I will try to find where I have read that before, i think it was on espn--not sure. Anyone know the source of his height and wieght in the article?
--NoYes 05:30, 13 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I think the link to pentathlon in the article might be confusing - I don't think the events were the same as in the ancient pentathlon, I suspect they were all track and field events. A google search suggests they were long jump, 200m sprint, discus, javelin and 1500m. Average Earthman 12:23, 13 Aug 2004 (UTC)

This article now reads,

A pentathlon based on the ancient Greek event had been organized at the 1906 Summer Olympics, but the 1912 edition would consist of the long jump, the javelin throw, 200-meter dash, the discus throw and the 1500-meter run.

The modern pentathlon, which consists of running, swimming, shooting, equestrian and fencing, was begun by the Baron de Coubertin in 1912, which I believe he intended to replace the pentathlon of ancient Greece. I've never heard anything about this other pentathlon, the one Thorpe is reported to have won. Taco Deposit 14:13, Aug 13, 2004 (UTC)

Well, he definitely won it, the IOC website says he did. Unfortunately, they don't say what events were actually in it. There is [one website (http://www.nativeamericans.com/JimThorpe.htm)] which has a biography of Thorpe on it that lists the five events, but I'd rather get some firmer evidence for it than rely on something someone has written on a webpage with no cites. The BBC has on more than one occasion said the pentathlon Thorpe won contained the events in the Modern Pentathlon, but they're wrong - the IOC website itself gives one Gosta Lilliehook as the winner of the Modern Pentathlon, and the Pentathlon Thorpe won is listed under the Athletics category. Average Earthman 15:13, 13 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Gosta Lillehook won the first Olympic 'Modern' pentathlon, and this Jim Thorpe article seems correct. In 1912, 1920 and 1924 there were two pentathlons at the Olympic games. One was the 'modern' and the other the 'traditional' (athletics) pentathlon. In addition the athletics pentathlon was replaced with the decathlon. The modern pentathlon was not to replace the athletics version it was a new independent event. Pentathlon (athletics version) results can be found at http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/ogm.htm and can be viewed in the table below.

Event:	Gold:		Silver:		Bronze:
1906#	Hjalmer Mellander SWE	24	István Mudin HUN	25	Eric Lemming SWE	29
1908	not held
1912	Jim Thorpe USA & Ferdinand Bie NOR	7* 21	James Donahue USA	29	Frank Lukeman CAN	29
1920	Eero Lehtonen FIN	14	Everett Bradley USA	24	Hugo Lahtinen FIN	26
1924	Eero Lehtonen FIN	14	Elemér Somfay HUN	16	Robert LeGendre USA	18

Note# -The events in the athletic pentathlon were long jump, javelin, 200 metres, discus, 1500 metres although in 1906 the more traditional greek events were contested, standing long jump, discus (greek style), javelin, 192 metres (one stade), graeco-roman wrestling.

Note*-Jim Thorpes Olympic results were re-instated in 1982. David D. 20:55, 2 May 2005 (UTC)

While I cannot offer any sources, I remember with pretty good confidence, from reading a young-adult book about Thorpe which was definitely written before 1980, that all his events at the 1912 Olympics were track and field. (There was an anecdote about how his entire preparation for the long jump consisted of making some chalk marks on the pavement.) I don't have the book any longer, but it made a great impression on me and I reread it many times. So consider this corroborating evidence that his pentathalon was not the "Modern" version.

Rpresser 00:53, 2004 Aug 27 (UTC)