In his biography Muhammad Ali tells the story of what happened to his Olympic gold medal from the 1960 Rome Olympics: disgusted by being refused service in a Louisville diner, he tossed the medal into the Ohio River, making it an enduring symbol of his struggle for Civil Rights.
But is that story true, or simply part of the legend of Ali?
The Smithsonian Channel show ‘Sports Detectives’ explores the question in a one-hour episode that debuted Sunday night and continues to run this week, including Tuesday night at 9 PM and midnight Eastern time and again on Thursday at 7 PM.
The timing was coincidental but the episode is airing in the days leading up to Ali’s funeral Friday in Louisville.
You can watch a pair of trailers for the show below.