James Francis Thorpe
Gold Medalist
— 1912 Olympics, Stockholm, Sweden —
PENTATHLON EVENTS -
Broad Jump - 1st place = 23 feet 2.7 inches
Javelin - 3rd place = 153 feet 3 inches
Discus - 1st place = 116 feet 8.4 inches
200- Meter Dash - 1st place = 22.9 seconds
1,500- Meter Race - 1st place = 4 min. 44.8 seconds
DECATHLON EVENTS -
100 Meter Dash - 3rd place
Running Broad Jump - 2nd place
Shot put - 1st place = 42 feet 5.5 inches
Running High Jump - 1st place = 6 feet 1.6 inches
110 - Meter Hurdles - 1st place = 15.6 seconds
400 - Meter Run - 4th place
Discus - 2nd place
Javelin - 3rd place
Pole Vault - 3rd place
1,500 Meter Run - 1st place = 4 min. 40.1 seconds
Thorpe finished the Decathlon with an incredible 8,412.96 points out of a possible 10,000! His nearest competitor had 7,724.5. His total points for the Decathlon was a record that stood for 10 years. Only Olympian ever to win gold medals for both, the Pentathlon & Decathlon in the same Olympics. Sweden's King Gustav distributed the gold medals - Gustav shook Thorpe's hand in a solemn manner and uttered the famous compliment, "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world." Thorpe, almost speechless with modesty, is said to have blurted out, "Thanks, King."
Dedicated: May 21, 2011
Erected 2011 by Jim Thorpe Area Sports
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Man-Made Features • Native Americans • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is May 21, 2011.
Location. 40° 53.073′ N, 75° 43.523′ W. Marker is in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, in Carbon County. Marker is on North Street (Pennsylvania Route 903) 0.1 miles north of 13th Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Jim Thorpe Memorial, Jim Thorpe PA 18229, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Jim Thorpe (Wa-tho-huck) (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named James Francis Thorpe (a few steps from this marker); The Professional Sportsman (within shouting distance of this marker); A Vigorous Youth (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named James Francis Thorpe (within shouting distance of this marker); The 1912 Olympics (within shouting distance of this marker); The Carlisle Years (within shouting distance of this marker); World War II Honor Roll (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jim Thorpe.
Also see . . .
1. Jim Thorpe, Olympian. International Olympics Committee website entry (Submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Jim Thorpe. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 4, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 277 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on February 4, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
