July 24, 1908 – There was some controversy at the London Olympic Marathon. American runner Johnny Hayes is given the Gold Medal for his finish with an Olympic record of 2:55:18.4. The Controversy was that Dorando Pietri of Italy had been disqualified for receiving assistance before the finish line.
Pietri had been the first athlete to enter the stadium where a crowd of onlookers anticipated him crossing the finish stripe first. Dorando had been helped over the finish line by British officials who were in charge of the games when he had been found to be struggling near the end of the race in what would have been a record pace.
Olympic rules stipulate that the runners must cross the finish line under their own power to be official. Many said this was the most exciting finish since Ancient Greek times when a race winner was said to have died crossing the line to win.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Good Friday 1972 (Bloody ‘Bedlam’ at the Civic Centre
Over the years, there have been many instances in hockey arenas in which a
Sports History On This Day: April 15
April 15, 1911 – 4 Ks in one inning? We all know that aside is
Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams vs. Titans): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXXIV, which was held on January 30, 2000, at
Sports History On This Day: April 14
April 14, 1969 – A historic day indeed as the first Major league baseball game
NHL’s Battle of Quebec and the Good Friday Massacre
As the Easter weekend approaches, it always calls to mind the decades of the
Remembering Mark “The Bird” Fidrych (1954 – 2009)
MLB All-Star Mark Fidrych passed away in a truck accident on April 13, 2009.
Sports History On This Day: April 13
April 13, 1942 – Talk about a tightly contested match. At the 9th US Masters
Sports History On This Day: April 12
There are a couple of historic firsts in sports that occurred on this date.