Ingemar Johansson was one of the most popular boxers of all time. People used to call him the “Hammer of Thor.” But what happened so suddenly that he was disqualified from the 1952 Olympics and then received the silver medal after 30 years?
Well, it’s a long but trivial story. But the impact was bigger than we could have ever thought of. You know, it takes a lot of time to make your name in any kind of industry.
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Back in those days, it wasn’t that easy to become famous by making reels and earning some followers. Social media wasn’t there, and celebrities couldn’t get the chance to speak out loud.
They needed to wait for a longer time to give justification. Something similar happened to Ingemar Johansson. He was strong, great in his sports, and popular.
In 1952 he decided to participate in the Olympics, and he played quite well until the semi-finals.
The reports said that he was not giving his best, and this is the reason they threw him out of the league. Sounds ridiculous, right?
I know, but things work differently at that time. But he regained the respect he lost after 30 years. So, what do you think? Does it actually make any sense? Let’s find out then.
The Incident of the 1952 Olympics
Ingemar was just playing as before, but the semi-finals didn’t do justice to him, and he was thrown out.
The referee said that he just stood there and was barely moving. He accused him of inactivity in the ring, and he was disqualified. What do you think? Was it fair to do so?
If you ask me, I think before disqualifying him, a proper investigation should have been done. There might be some misunderstanding and nothing else.
Moreover, the later actions of the authorities say the same thing. If they were confident about what they did and why they did it, then what is the point of giving him the silver he deserved 30 years later?
You know, it makes me stick to my argument that it was nothing but a mistake.
Was His Reputation Really Hampered?
Yes, it was. After that incident took place, he was denied playing in many games, and people started to believe that he was cheating on his games. The entire career Ingemar built with all of that hard work was falling apart.
But he was quickly taking action, and soon he regained all of that. In addition, getting the silver cleared everything out, and people finally came to know that he was innocent.
Ending Note
Sports players are often criticized for something they have never done. It makes e think of Anna Nordqvist. She just ended an amazing deal with the Saudi Arabia team because she was heavily criticized.
I think people should be more careful while commenting on any celebrity and passing on judgments. They are not there to impress you but for the game they love and their passion.
