Jim Thorpe: Native American legend
The incredible story of the star of the 1912 Olympics
Sporting Witness · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
In 1912, the Native American athlete, Jim Thorpe, stunned the world by winning both the decathlon and pentathlon at the Stockholm Olympics.
Less than a year later, Thorpe was stripped of the medals in controversial circumstances.
After struggling to make a living as a Hollywood extra, he ended up dying in poverty in a trailer park.
Richard Fleming tells Jim Thorpe's incredible story, with contributions from his biographer, Kate Buford.
PHOTO: Jim Thorpe, the track athelete. Courtesy of Cumberland County Historical Society.