Paavo Nurmi

Paavo Johannes Nurmi (13 June 1897 – 2 October 1973) was a Finnish middle- and long-distance runner. He was born in Turku. Nurmi set 22 official world records at distances between 1500 metres and 20 kilometres. He participated in the Olympic Games twelve times where he won nine gold and three silver medals.

Paavo Nurmi Media

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  Nurmi (second from right) withhis family in 1924

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  Nurmi at the 1920 Olympic trials

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  Nurmi at the 1924 Summer Olympics

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  Nurmi, right, and Joie Ray, left, with U.S. President Calvin Coolidge during Nurmi's 1925 U.S. tour

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  Nurmi checks his stopwatch in 1928

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  Nurmi running his first and only "Short" marathon 40.2 km (25.0 mi)at the 1932 Olympic trials in Viipuri

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  Nurmi in his men's clothing store in Helsinki in 1939

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  Nurmi lights the Olympic Flame in 1952

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  Paavo Nurmi in the early 1970s