Olympic medalist | |||
![]() Nurmi at the 1920 Summer Olympics. |
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Medal record | |||
Men's athletics | |||
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Competitor for ![]() |
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Olympic Games | |||
Gold | 1920 Antwerp | 10000 m | |
Gold | 1920 Antwerp | 8000 m cross country | |
Gold | 1920 Antwerp | 8000 m cross country team | |
Gold | 1924 Paris | 1500 m | |
Gold | 1924 Paris | 5000 m | |
Gold | 1924 Paris | 5000 m cross country | |
Gold | 1924 Paris | 5000 m cross country team | |
Gold | 1924 Paris | 3000 m team | |
Gold | 1928 Amsterdam | 10000 m | |
Silver | 1920 Antwerp | 5000 m | |
Silver | 1928 Amsterdam | 5000 m | |
Silver | 1928 Amsterdam | 3000 m steeplechase |
Paavo Johannes Nurmi (pronunciation) (13 June 1897 – 2 October 1973) was a Finnish runner. Born in Turku, he was known as one of the "Flying Finns"; a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola and others for their distinction in running. During the 1920s, Nurmi was the best middle and long distance runner in the world, setting world records at distances between 1500 m and 20 km.
Nurmi won a total of nine gold and three silver medals in the 12 events in which he competed at the Olympic Games from 1920 to 1928. In 1932, Nurmi was unable to compete at the Olympics, as he had received money for his running and was thus considered a professional.
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Nurmi debuted at the 1920 Summer Olympics by competing in four events. He won three gold medals: the 10,000 m, the cross country event and the cross country team event, and finished second in the 5000 m.
In 1924, he won five gold medals in five events, including the 1500 m, 5000 m (with only 26 minutes between the final races; he broke the world record for both of them), the 3000 m team race, and again both cross country events. It was the last time these cross country events were held, as the great heat caused more than half of the competitors to abandon the race, and many more had to be taken to hospital. Finnish officials, fearing for his health, refused to enter Nurmi in the 10,000 m event. Thus, he was unable to defend his title. An angry Nurmi protested after returning to Finland by setting a 10,000 m world record that would last for almost 13 years.
Nurmi ended his Olympic career at the 1928 Summer Olympics, winning the 10,000 m and two silver medals (5000 m and 3000 m steeplechase).
Nurmi has won the most Olympic medals in Track & Field, 12 total. He ties Larissa Latynina, Mark Spitz, and Carl Lewis[1] with nine Olympic gold medals, second only to Michael Phelps with fourteen.[2] Due to this fact, he is often considered the greatest Track & Field athlete of all time.
Nurmi continued to run after the Olympics in Amsterdam with every intent to compete in the 10,000 m and marathon events at the 1932 Summer Olympics, but he was branded a professional and barred from running in Los Angeles. The main conductors of the ban were the Swedish officials, especially Sigfrid Edström, the president of the IAAF and vice-president of the IOC. Edström claimed that Nurmi had received too much money for his travel expenses to a meet in Germany. This was seen as jealousy by many in Finland and in part led to Finland refusing to participate in the traditional Finland-Sweden international athletics event Suomi-Ruotsi-maaottelu or Finnkampen until 1939.
However, Nurmi did travel to Los Angeles and kept training at the Olympic Village. Despite pleas from all the entrants of the marathon, Nurmi was not allowed to compete at the Games. Although he had suffered from injuries, he claimed he would have won the marathon by five minutes after the event was over. He had set his heart on ending his career with a marathon gold medal, as his fellow countryman Hannes Kolehmainen had done shortly after the First World War.
A Finnish national hero, Paavo Nurmi was the lighter of the Olympic Flame at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. In retirement he ran a haberdashery store in Helsinki. Nurmi died in 1973 in Helsinki and was given a state funeral.
Records | ||
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Preceded by![]() |
Men's 1,500m World Record Holder 19 June 1924 – 11 September 1926 |
Succeeded by![]() |
Preceded by![]() |
Men's Mile World Record Holder 23 August 1923 – 4 October 1931 |
Succeeded by![]() |
Preceded by![]() |
Men's 3,000 m World Record Holder 27 August 1922 – 7 June 1925 |
Succeeded by![]() |
Preceded by![]() |
Men's 3,000 m World Record Holder 24 May 1926 – 19 June 1932 |
Succeeded by![]() |
Preceded by![]() |
Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder 22 June 1921 – 25 May 1924 |
Succeeded by![]() |
Preceded by![]() |
Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder 31 August 1924 – 18 July 1937 |
Succeeded by![]() |
Sporting positions | ||
Preceded by John Mark London 1948 |
Final Summer Olympic Torchbearer Paavo Nurmi Helsinki 1952 |
Succeeded by Ron Clarke and Hans Wikne Melbourne / Stockholm 1956 |
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Persondata | |
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NAME | Nurmi, Paavo Johannes |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
SHORT DESCRIPTION | Finnish runner |
DATE OF BIRTH | June 13, 1897 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Turku, Finland |
DATE OF DEATH | October 2, 1973 |
PLACE OF DEATH | Helsinki, Finland |