Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals were restored in two significant stages, separated by nearly 40 years. The journey from injustice to vindication took 110 years to complete.
1983 Partial Restoration
- IOC declared Thorpe "co-champion" with Wieslander and Bie
- Replica medals presented to his family
- Occurred 30 years after his death
- Compromise solution that still denied full justice
The 1983 restoration came after decades of advocacy by Thorpe's family and supporters. However, the designation as "co-champion" was seen by many as an inadequate compromise that failed to fully acknowledge the injustice done to Thorpe.
The Evidence That Changed Everything
In 1982, the original IOC rulebook was discovered "fallen behind a shelf" in the Library of Congress. This document proved that the 30-day protest rule had been violated when Thorpe's medals were stripped in 1913, providing concrete evidence that the original decision was procedurally invalid.
2022 Full Restoration
July 15, 2022: Complete Victory
- IOC officially recognizes Thorpe as SOLE champion
- 110 years after his victories
- Result of "Bright Path Strong" campaign
- World Athletics and IOC corrected all records
- Name displayed as only gold medalist for 1912 pentathlon and decathlon
The Bright Path Strong Campaign
The successful 2022 restoration was the result of a grassroots campaign named after Thorpe's Sac and Fox name, Wa-Tho-Huk ("Bright Path").
Key Campaign Leaders:
- Nedra Darling: Prairie Band Potawatomi citizen and co-founder
- Anita Thorpe: Jim's daughter who had fought for decades
- Sebastian Coe: World Athletics President who championed the cause
Strategic Approach:
- Leveraged 110th anniversary of 1912 Olympics for maximum impact
- Created petition signed by thousands globally
- Engaged Swedish and Norwegian Olympic committees as allies
- Used social media with #BrightPathStrong hashtag
- Emphasized racial justice angle alongside sports history
Timeline to Victory
October 2020: Campaign launches
July 2021: World Athletics recognizes Thorpe as sole winner
October 2021: Change.org petition gains momentum
July 15, 2022: IOC announces full restoration
July 2022: Olympic Museum updates all records
The Significance of Full Restoration
"We are so grateful this nearly 110-year-old injustice has finally been corrected, and Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole gold medalist of the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games."
- Nedra Darling
The 2022 decision was significant for several reasons:
- It acknowledged the discriminatory nature of the original decision
- Recognized that neither Wieslander nor Bie ever accepted the gold medals
- Corrected all official Olympic records and databases
- Represented a victory for Indigenous rights and recognition
- Set a precedent for addressing historical injustices in sports
Supporting Evidence
The restoration was based on compelling evidence:
- Original 30-day protest deadline was violated in 1913
- Discriminatory enforcement (white athletes weren't investigated)
- Neither "co-champion" ever accepted the medals
- Historical documentation proved procedural violations
- Swedish and Norwegian Olympic committees supported restoration
A Legacy Restored
The restoration of Jim Thorpe's Olympic titles represents more than correcting a historical record. It acknowledges what his Swedish and Norwegian competitors knew all along—that Jim Thorpe was not just a champion, but the champion.
Today, all Olympic records correctly show James Francis "Jim" Thorpe as the sole gold medalist in both the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, finally providing the justice denied to him for over a century.