The ancient Greeks ran naked. Modern athletes get Tinder Gold. Somewhere in between? A lot of weird stuff.

This week on Messy Minded, we explore the strange evolution of the Olympics — from sacred rituals and priestesses to flaming pigeons and suspicious judging. You’ll hear about divine nudity, rigged events, Olympic ghosts, and a marathon so disastrous it involved poison and a guy in a car. Plus: honorable mentions like Abebe Bikila (barefoot legend), Eric "The Eel" Moussambani, and the one guy who literally disappeared mid-race.

International Olympic Committee – https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/ancient-olympic-games

Kyle, Donald G. Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World, Wiley-Blackwell, 2014

Golden, Mark. Sport in the Ancient World from A to Z, Routledge, 2004

NPR – “That Time the Olympic Marathon Was a Total Disaster” – https://www.npr.org/2016/08/12/489810136/that-time-the-olympic-marathon-was-a-total-disaster

Gynn, Roger. The Olympic Marathon, Human Kinetics, 1996

Smithsonian Magazine – “The Undefeated Life of Jim Thorpe” – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-jim-thorpes-greatest-battle-was-not-on-the-field-180979000/

National Museum of the American Indian – https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/jim-thorpe

The New York Times – “South Koreans Tell World, ‘We Have Arrived’” – https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/18/sports/the-seoul-olympics-opening-ceremony-south-koreans-tell-world-we-have-arrived.html

USA Today – “The Olympic doves that died for our sins” – https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/08/doves-olympic-ceremony-1988-seoul-fire-torch

Olympic Channel – “When Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic cauldron” – https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/atlanta-1996/highlights/muhammad-ali

Biography.com – Muhammad Ali profile – https://www.biography.com/athletes/muhammad-ali

Olympics.com – “Abebe Bikila: Barefoot to victory” – https://olympics.com/en/athletes/abebe-bikila

Team USA – “John Shuster Leads U.S. to Curling Gold” – https://www.teamusa.org/News/2018/February/24/John-Shuster-Leads-US-To-Historic-Olympic-Curling-Goldhttps://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2018/02/24/588637936/team-usa-wins-its-first-ever-olympic-gold-in-mens-curling

Japan Times – “The Japanese marathon runner who went missing — for 54 years” – https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/07/23/olympics/summer-olympics/olympic-history/shizo-kanakuri-olympics-marathon/

BBC – “Shizo Kanakuri: The man who took 54 years to finish a marathon” – https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/57914191

Also thank you to Dax Shepard and Monica Padman of Armchair Expert, not only for inspiring my new odd interest, but also for years of great podcasting!

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