Paavo Nurmi

“The Mechanical Man”

   Paavo Nurmi, a distance runner from Finland who often ran with a stopwatch, was known as the “Flying Finn”.   He was born June 13, 1897.  His first Olympics was in 1920 where he won the 10,000-meter run and the 8,000-meter cross-country and obtained two gold medals in the team cross-country.  He also obtained a silver medal in the 5,000-meter run.

    Four years later in Paris, he won five gold medals.  He competed and won the 1,500 and the 5,000-meter within ninety minutes of each other.  Paavo ended up setting world records in both events.  He won the 10,000-meter cross-country race.  The heat was so intense and the course was so difficult,  23 of the 38 participants were knocked out of the race.  The very next day he led his team to a victory in the 3,000-meter team race.  In 1932 during the games in Amsterdam he captured the gold medal during the 10,000-meter run and the silver medal in both 5,000-meters and the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

     Paavo Nurmi won nine gold medals and broke 23 world records in his career.  Nurmi died October 2, 1973.  

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