Thorpe, Jim /θɔːp $ θɔːrp dʒɪm/ BrE AmE
(1888–1953) an American ↑ athlete who won ↑ gold medal s in the Olympics in 1912 and later played American ↑ football . Thorpe's Olympic medals were taken away from him when it was learned that he had once received money for playing ↑ baseball , but many years after his death it was decided that he had won the medals fairly and they were returned to his family.