Paavo Nurmi

Name — Paavo Nurmi

Country — Finland

Date of birth — 13 June, 1897

Birthplace — Turku

Discipline — (middle, long distance)

World records — 22 (1500m, Mile, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, kilometres run in the hour)

Olympic Games (12 medals — 9 gold, 3 silver)

1500m — 1st (1924)

5000m — 1st (1924), 2nd (1920, 1928)

10,000m — 1st (1920, 1928)

3000m steeple — 2nd (1928)

3000m teams — 1st (1924)

Cross country — 1st (1920, 1924)

Cross country teams — 1st (1920, 1924)

If long distance running was in need of a role model, one would have to look no further than Paavo Nurmi. The legendary Finn smashed an incredible 22 world records, winning an impressive 9 Olympic gold medals on the way.

Born in June 1897, his first Olympic foray took place in Antwerp in 1920. Until then, compatriot Hannes Kolehmainen had been the star of the middle distance events, having won gold at the previous Olympiad in Stockholm in 1912.

In the Belgian city, however, the older Finn passed the torch of success to his understudy. Nurmi consequently left Antwerp with three gold medals and one silver.

During his adolescence, Nurmi was a relatively average runner, but a lack of interest in the opposite sex, as he himself admitted, allowed him to apply himself 100 per cent to his only real passion. The “Flying Finn”, as he also became known after the man who was first afforded the title, Hannes Kolehmainen, can also be credited with having recognised the benefits of diet and sports psychology.

With the nine titles he won from 1920 to 1928, he remains one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the Olympics, with other “Gods of Sport” such as Carl Lewis, the swimmer, Mark Spitz, and the gymnast, Larissa Latynina.

The son of a cabinet-maker, he became a teacher before turning his hand to running a public works company and managing a shirt shop in Helsinki.

Nurmi passed away in October 1973 after falling victim to a heart attack. With 22 world records, he remains one of the most talented athletes of the century.