Olympic gold medalist
7 July 1912

Pentathlon and decathlon

Jim Thorpe

The American Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest Olympians of all time. At the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, he won both the athletics pentathlon and the decathlon by unprecedented margins. 

Born into poverty in a Native American community, Thorpe was a brilliant all-round athlete who excelled in every sport he turned his hand to. For his exploits in Stockholm, he received not only gold medals but also extravagant prizes: the Russian tsar donated a silver Viking ship embedded with jewels, while King Gustav V presented Thorpe with a large bust of King Charles XII of Sweden. On his return home, Thorpe was honoured with a ticker-tape parade on Broadway and for a short while he was the world’s most celebrated sportsman. Six months later, however, the fairy tale came to an abrupt halt when it emerged that before the Olympics he had been paid a modest $25 a week to play minor-league baseball, thus breaching the Olympics’ strict code of amateurism. The devastated Thorpe was forced to return the medals and prizes and was struck from the results records. 

All-round sporting genius that he was, he bounced back and went on to play professional baseball and American football; however, Olympic disqualification weighed heavy on Thorpe. Full vindication would have to wait for another 110 years. In the summer of 2022, the International Olympic Committee announced that Jim Thorpe had been reinstated as the winner of the athletics pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 games, something that the vast majority in the world of sports had always considered self-evident.

On placing the laurel wreath on Thorpe’s head in 1912, King Gustav V declared, ”You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world”, to which Thorpe replied, “Thanks, King”. 

Other records

Erik Lemming

Eric Lemming

Expectations of Eric Lemming were high at the 1912 Olympic Games and he did not disappoint, taking the gold medal in the javelin with a throw of 60.64 metres.

Brandkårens IK

On the 15th of August 1941, Stockholm Stadium saw an unusual world record be broken when the Fire Brigade’s Sports Club ran a 4 × mile relay at at time of 17:16.2.

Henry Jonsson

On the 14th of August 1940, Henry Kälarne, fireman and athlete, set a new world record in 3,000 metres at Stockholm Stadium.

Patrik Sjöberg sätter nytt världsrekord i höjdhopp

Patrik Sjöberg

Patrik Sjöberg will be forever associated with the Stockholm Stadium and his world record of 2.42.

Rolling Stones på Stadion i Stockholm

The Rolling Stones

When the British stars performed at the Stockholm Stadium on the 3rd of June 1995, the 35,200 fans present cheered everything from Satisfaction to Start Me Up.

Nora Anna

On the 30th of August 1945, the atmosphere at the Stockholm Stadium was ecstatic as Nora-Anna broke her third world record in the 800 meters with a time of 2:13.8.