07 Aug Genealogical searches- August 7, 2021
What makes a sport or game Olympic?
Over the years, sports and games (as in Olympic games), have been added and removed. While all events involved competition, they often involved activities that the host country might have an advantage of. In 1912, the IOC removed motorboating since it was not human-powered, which became another definition of an Olympic sport.
From 1912 to 1948, they had Olympic Art medals, where you could enter your Olympic-themed artwork. The idea of the artworks being medal-worthy came from Baron Pierre de Coubertin (see his name on the left). Coincidentally he won an award for a poem he wrote under a pseudonym in the 1912 Olympics.
The Art awards were eliminated in 1948 when the games only allowed amateur competitors and most artists need to be paid for their work.
The 1904 Olympics in St. Louis included a “human zoo” where they brought specimens of the human race from around the globe. The Olympics had a “Greatest Show on Earth” feeling to the events.
Jim Thorpe who was considered one of the greatest athletes of all time lost his medals due to being paid once to play baseball. Despite the indications in the 1940 article below, the records were later restored to him.
