Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 8 h ago, last 24 min ago, peak #1
The 1904 Olympic marathoner who took rat poison to win gold
Original: At the 1904 Olympics, a marathoner took rat poison to win gold https:// fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.pops ci.com/health/oly
Thomas Hicks won the marathon at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics after his trainers gave him strychnine, a rat poison, mixed with brandy to boost his performance during the race. He crossed the line exhausted and had to be carried off the track, but was allowed to keep his gold medal. The story is being shared as a striking example of how early Olympic doping, then legal, compares with today's strict anti-doping rules.
Why now: People are revisiting the bizarre history of early Olympic doping, when performance-enhancing substances like strychnine were legal.
Thomas Hicks1904 St. Louis OlympicsPopular Science
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- At the 1904 Olympics, a marathoner took rat poison to win gold https:// fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.pops ci.com/health/olympic-runner-rat-poison-thomas-hicks/ · popsci.com@web.brid.gy · 3
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