✉news SportOlympics first seen 1 d ago, last 8 h ago, peak #4
Marathoner 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, marathon runner Thomas Hicks was given strychnine, then used as a rat poison, mixed with brandy by his support team to help him claim gold. The dangerous stimulant left him barely able to finish, highlighting how crude doping practices were in early Olympic sport. The story is being recirculated as a striking example of the era's reckless approach to athletic performance.
Why now: Historical Olympic trivia resurfacing, likely tied to ongoing interest in Olympic history and doping stories.
Thomas Hicks1904 St. Louis OlympicsPopular Science
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- At the 1904 Olympics, a marathoner took rat poison to win gold · Popular Science
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