✉news SportOlympics first seen 6 h ago, last 53 min ago, peak #4
The marathon runner who took rat poison at the 1904 Olympics
Original: At the 1904 Olympics, a marathoner took rat poison to win gold
At the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, American marathoner Thomas Hicks took strychnine, then a common rat poison, mixed with brandy during the race and still won gold, supported by assistants who carried him across the line. The story is being retold as one of the strangest in Olympic history, highlighting early doping before drugs were banned and the brutal, disorganised conditions of that marathon.
Why now: Interest in Olympic history and early doping stories spikes around Olympic seasons
Thomas Hicks1904 St. Louis OlympicsOlympic Games
Rank over time, top of the chart is #1. 5 snapshots from 6 h ago to 53 min ago.
Evidence
- At the 1904 Olympics, a marathoner took rat poison to win gold · Popular Science
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