7. Jim Thorpe Case
It wasn’t until 1988 that the Olympic Committee decided to phase out the amateurism rules. This came way too late for Jim Thorpe, who had won gold in pentathlon and decathlon, in Stockholm, 1912. It was found out that Thorpe was paid for couple semi-professional baseball seasons which effectively labeled him a professional athlete. To be fair, Thorpe was one of the most versatile athletes ever to compete at the Olympics, but was that a reason to discriminate him? He has played football, basketball, and baseball – all on the professional level. At least, Thorpe’s legacy lives on as his medals were reinstated in 1983 – 30 years after his death.
