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THE INCOMPARABLE PAAVO NURMI
This summer the Olympics Games return to Paris, it’s been a hundred years since the French last hosted the games, therefore, in honour of Baron Pierre De Coubertin its high time we pay homage to a man who could arguably lay claim to being the greatest middle distance runner of all time. Paavo Nurmi, may not be a name that you are familiar, however, if you’ve got time to scrutinise his career you will be blown away by his achievements.
Nurmi first gained attention at 1920 Antwerp Olympics as part of the Finnish team that also included fellow flying Finns, Ville Ritola and Hannes Kolehmainen. Nurmi’s haul of three gold and one silver was impressive, but, that was just a taste of what was to come, by the time he arrived in Paris for the 1924 games, Nurmi was making world records tumble, starting with 10,000 metres in 1921, he broke the 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000 metres in 1922 and the mile and three mile records on consecutive days in 1923.
To get an idea of just how good Nurmi was, you just have to look at his preparation for the 1924 Paris games, in the June of that year, Nurmi warmed up for the games by breaking the world 1,500 metres record, then on the same day and less an hour later he broke the 5,000 metres world record. The Paris game saw him win five golds making him the most bemedaled athlete at the 1924 Olympics. Just to demonstrate how good he really was, Nurmi broke six more world record before the end of 1924.
By the time he reached Amsterdam for 1928 his powers were in decline, although he still managed one gold and two silvers. In 1932 Nurmi had planned to run the marathon at Los Angeles games, but, was banned by the IAAF for apparently infringing his amateur status.
Nine Olympic gold medals three silver medals and twenty two world records place Nurmi at the very top of the athletic tree, will we see his like at this year’s Paris Olympics, no chance. Paavo Nurmi the greatest athlete of all time, you may not agree, but, for me the man is incomparable.
thefrozennortherner 