Lauri Lehtinen

Lauri Lehtinen Aleksanteri ( born August 10, 1908 in Porvoo, Finland, † December 4, 1973 in Helsinki) was a Finnish athlete and 1932 Olympic champion in the 5000 meters at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Two weeks before the Olympic Games, on June 19, 1932 Lauri Lehtinen improved in Helsinki over 5000 m the eight -year-old world record of Paavo Nurmi at 11 seconds 14:17,0, making him the favorite for the Olympic title over this distance.

At the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles Lehtinen started because even over 5000 meters. In the final he took over and his compatriot Lauri Virtanen early lead. They planned it, shake off all their other opponents, giving them almost succeeded. Only one did not let up: The American Ralph Hill. A little later, the race turned into a real battle between Lehtinen and Hill. In the last round Hill Lehtinen attacked and was about to overtake him. Lehtinen prevented, in which he constantly sections Hill zigzagging from one track to the other way. Although a common tactic in Europe, which was unusual especially for American audiences. Thus frustrated, it booed from Lehtinen. Lauri Lehtinen narrowly won, for Ralph Hill the same time of 14:30,0 minutes was stopped. It was the only Olympic race, the distance was longer than 200 meters, which scored the first identical times.

The judges were initially unsure whether there had been a hindrance by Lauri Lehtinen. Therefore, the award ceremony took place just 24 hours later. It came - to the delight of the audience - to conciliatory gestures of both athletes, as they exchanged their team badge.

At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin Lehtinen could not defend his title and finished the race in second behind his compatriot Gunnar Höckert.

1940 Lehtinen dedicated his gold medal to a soldier. It was a gesture of respect for Gunnar Lehtinen Höckert who had volunteered for service in the Finnish army and had fallen as a reserve lieutenant fighting in the Winter War against the Soviet Union on the day before his 30th birthday in Karelia.

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