Pygmies, cannibals and tribesmen forced to participate in 1904 Olympics Games
In what has been called The Savages’ Olympics, pygmies, cannibals and tribesmen were forced to compete in Olympics games in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904...
As the Olympic Games kick off in London this week, some are looking back at the dark history of the global event. In what has been called The Savages’ Olympics, pygmies, cannibals and tribesmen were forced to compete in 1904 Olympics games in St. Louis, Missouri. The brutal completions were held by whites to prove white supremacy. The Daily Mail reports:
The Olympic sprint final was about to commence and the competitors were on their marks. But as the starter’s pistol cracked, it became clear this was no ordinary race.
Some of the male runners were so alarmed by the bang that they froze, while others — unaware of the imperative to run their fastest — began ambling down the track.
Amid jeers from hordes of hot-dog munching spectators, they eventually reached the finishing line in times that would be beaten by an average schoolboy athlete.
Elsewhere in the stadium, the athletes’ performances were equally inept. They stared quizzically at the javelin, discus and jumping pits before making the feeblest throws and shortest leaps ever seen at the Olympics.
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