When did the Olympics go ‘pro-am’?

IN the 1912 Olympics, Jim Thorpe, a native American-Indian, an all round sportsman and generally hailed as the greatest American athlete of the 20th century, won the decathlon and pentathlon gold.

The following year he was stripped of his medals, stripped because it was found he had been paid at some stage for playing football. If I recall correctly, from the film of his life, it was one game he had been paid a few hundred dollars for. He was classed as a semi-professional and was ineligible for amateur glory.

This begs the question: why is the world’s greatest amateur sporting event being swamped by highly paid professionals?

More and more incredible “sports” are being added, and suggested, for these and future games, pool being the last one I heard. Let’s go the whole gamut – why not darts and poker which are also highly paid, professional games? When did the Olympics become pro-am? I ask this of the British Olympic Committee, and indeed World Olympic Committee.

For what good it did him, Jim Thorpe had his medals reinstated 30 years after his death!

From: Arthur Cockroft, Plantation Avenue, Temple Newsam, Leeds.

HAVING watched our ladies football team beat New Zealand, I listened to some local guru condescendingly concede that their performance may help to popularise ladies’ football despite the fact that it is so much slower than the game played by men.

It is slower due to the fact that obviously women can’t run as fast as men but let’s face it, how much slower can football be played than the game played by Spain (World Champions) with their interminable midfield passing game.

I did not see a single malicious tackle by either side nor a single instance of a player rolling around in pretended agony after a tackle, just a good rub of the affected limb and up again. Our team was a wonderful advert for ladies’ football.

From: Hilary Andrews, Wentworth Court, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

OLYMPIC fever seems to have gripped the whole of Britain. Wouldn’t it be great if we had an over-65s Games? We could have at least five categories: archery, swimming, shooting, table tennis and tennis.

Many senior citizens are now keeping fit and others are encouraged to do so for their physical and mental health. This would be a great incentive, both to the competitors themselves and to the middle aged who think they’re past it!

From: Tom Valentine, Tempest Avenue, Darfield, Barnsley.

RICHARD Caborn (Yorkshire Post, July 28) should get 
himself on one of those 
house renovation programmes on the television. There, 
with the help of a few simple visual aids such as bricks, 
mortar and a cheque-book, someone would be able to teach him what phrases like “under budget” and “on budget” really mean.

With thinking like his, it is little wonder that so many of his colleagues have trouble managing their expenses properly.

From: John Watson, Hutton Hill, Leyburn.

they said we could not do it, but we have. The Olympic opening ceremony was a joy to watch. My only complaint is that there was too much pop music being played, otherwise it was a treat. I am pleased I was warned that Sir Paul McCartney was coming on because that is when I went to bed.

Well done, Danny Boyle and all your helpers, you have made us all feel proud.

From: Terry Duncan, Greame Road, Bridlington.

I DO hope Her Majesty the Queen is nominated for a Bafta after her super, death-defying performance in the company of Secret Agent 007 at the opening of the Olympics!

She was marvellous and her feathered hat remained unruffled as she took her seat alongside Prince Philip in the audience of millions.

From: Dai Woosnam, Woodrow Park, Scartho, Grimsby.

I MAY not have gone a bundle on Trainspotting or Slumdog Millionaire, but the Olympics opening night ceremony was simply a masterpiece.

From: Phil Hanson, Beechmount Close, Baildon, Shipley.

SO, his Lordship Coe is full of blarney about Olympic seat take-up.

They will all be full, if not we will fill with soldiers and teachers...

This fiasco shows how the public who have bankrolled this are being taken the mickey out of!

The entire Olympic show 
from Sir Paul (long past it) McCartney to seat sales and traffic lanes for the elite really shows this up for what it has become, a blast for the well-heeled on the taxpayer.

Cossetted and BMW-chauffeured, this is insulting 
in a country where we are 
closing heart hospitals in 
Leeds and cannot afford 
decent trains for commuters.

Not funny!