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Ali’s 1960 Gold Medal Mysteriously “Disappeared” In 1960, Cassius Clay (who would later be called Muhammad Ali, the great showman and champion), was a supremely talented amateur boxer from Louisville, Kentucky. A six-time Golden Gloves winner in his home state, Clay made the Olympic team for his country and was the clear favorite to win the gold medal in the light heavyweight division. The 18-year-old Clay did not disappoint, winning gold with three unanimous decisions and a TKO (technical knockout). Clay was so proud of his win that he wore the medal around his neck for days after arriving back home in Louisville. On one of those days, he and a friend tried to get service at a local restaurant, but back then, in a racially segregated Louisville, they were refused any service. This part of the story is not in dispute.

Where the story takes on the mantle of urban legend is that after leaving the restaurant, Clay was supposedly so angry and

frustrated that he threw his medal off the Second Street Bridge in protest and it sank to the bottom of the Ohio River.

The Summer Olympics: Fascinating Facts

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