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
New York Mets: World Series Appearances
It goes without saying that the New York Mets have not had anywhere near
Jay Berwanger: The NFL’s First-Ever Draft Pick (1936)
One of the most important innovations in the history of the National Football League
Super Bowl XIII (Steelers vs. Cowboys): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XIII, which was held on January 21, 1979, in
1973 NFL Playoffs – A Year of Redemption for 3 Teams
Seemingly every year in pro football, or at least every few years, a couple
New York Renaissance: America’s First All-Black Fully Professional Basketball Team
Today we are taking you to the barnstorming days of early basketball. Our subject
The History of the First Basketball Game Ever Played
Seeing that this is the very first entry of this blog I thought, what
Three Unique Chicago Bears: John “Bull” Doehring, Lloyd “Shorty” Burdick, and George Trafton
a trio of players from the Chicago Bears that you may have never heard
Super Bowl XII (Broncos vs. Cowboys): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XII, which was held on January 15, 1978, in