Paavo Nurmi is a finish long distance runner. Today, he may not be as famous as Nokia, but he did a lot to make Finland known in the world in this time.
It all happened during the 1920s, Finland had just gained its independence from Russia(in 1917) and was working hard to establish its place among the concert of free nations.
During those 10 short years, Paavo Nurmi dominated middle and long distance track and field races, winning no less than 9 gold medals and 3 silver medals in 3 Olympic :
- 4 in Antwerp – 1920
- 5 in Paris – 1924
- 3 in Amsterdam – 1928
As a result, not only did he win 12 Olympic medals, but he also set 25 world record (from 1500 meters to 20 000).
His Olympic career was put to an end in the 1932 Olympiads in Los Angeles because the organizing committee considered him a professional.
Paavo never ran an Olympic marathon, but still two marathons have been named after him.
- Paavo Nurmi Marathon organized in Turku, the Finnish city where he was born in 1897 at the end of June
- Paavo Nurmi Marathon held in Hurley, WI in the middle of August.
Paavo Nurmi died in 1973 and was honored with a state funeral.
‘Success in sport as in almost anything comes from devotion. The athlete must make a devotion of his specialty.’ – Paavo Nurmi
See also : All the marathons held in Finland
The photo of the Paavo Nurmi statue that stands near the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki has been take by Rod Monkey.