When Poets Won Olympic Gold Medals

For several decades, the Olympic Games officially awarded gold medals for architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture. These artistic competitions were once considered just as prestigious as athletic events.

Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, believed that true athletes should be well-rounded in both mind and body. Between 1912 and 1948, artists competed for medals based on works directly inspired by sports. The events were famously dubbed the Pentathlon of the Muses. The practice eventually ended because most participants were professional artists, which clashed with the strict amateur status required of athletes at the time.