Paavo Nurmi
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Paavo Nurmi (June 13, 1897 – October 2, 1973) was a Finnish runner. Paavo Nurmi was born in Turku, and died in Helsinki. Nurmi 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 on distances between 1500 m and 20 km.
Nurmi won a total of nine gold medals 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. At the 1920 Summer Olympics, Nurmi won three gold medals: the 10,000 m, the cross country event and the cross country team event, also finishing second in the 5000 m.
In 1924, he won no less than 5 gold medals, winning the 1500 m, 5000 m (with only 26 minutes between the final races), 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 the hospital.
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). He continued to run after the Olympics at Amsterdam with every intent to compete in the 1932 Summer Olympics but he was branded a professional and barred from running at Los Angeles.
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.
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| Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 1500 m |
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Teddy Flack | Charles Bennett | Jim Lightbody (twice) | Mel Sheppard | Arnold Jackson | Albert Hill | Paavo Nurmi | Harry Larva | Luigi Beccali | Jack Lovelock | Henry Eriksson | Josy Barthel | Ron Delany | Herb Elliott | Peter Snell | Kip Keino | Pekka Vasala | John Walker | Sebastian Coe (twice) | Peter Rono | Fermín Cacho | Noureddine Morceli | Noah Ngeny | Hicham El Guerrouj |
| Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 5000 m |
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Hannes Kolehmainen | Joseph Guillemot | Paavo Nurmi | Ville Ritola | Lauri Lehtinen | Gunnar Höckert | Gaston Reiff | Emil Zátopek | Vladimir Kuts | Murray Halberg | Bob Schul | Mohammed Gammoudi | Lasse Virén (twice) | Muruse Yefter | Saïd Aouita | John Ngugi | Dieter Baumann | Vénuste Niyongabo | Millon Wolde | Hicham El Guerrouj |
| Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 5 miles and 10000 m |
| As five miles: Henry Hawtrey | Emil Voigt |
| As 10,000 metres: Hannes Kolehmainen | Paavo Nurmi (twice) | Ville Ritola | Janusz Kusociński | Ilmari Salminen | Emil Zátopek (twice) | Vladimir Kuts | Pyotr Bolotnikov | Billy Mills | Naftali Temu | Lasse Virén (twice) | Muruse Yefter | Alberto Cova | Brahim Boutayeb | Khalid Skah | Haile Gebrselassie (twice) | Kenenisa Bekele |
