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On day 5, Paavo Nurmi of Finland runs himself into Olympic history.
Stade de Colombes, Paris, July 10, 1924
First the 1,500 metres...
First the 1,500 metres...
Photo: Uusi Suomi, July 11, 1924.
Nurmi takes it easy in the final metres of the 1500m. Schärer and Stallard battles the silver medal.
Paavo Nurmi wrote his name into Olympic history by winning the 1,500 and 5,000 metres in less than an hour, as he had planned. Hicham El Guerrouj matched this feat 80 years later, although he had several days between the events.
The Flying Finn took the 1500-metre race by storm from the first lap. The 800 metres was completed in the blistering time of 1:58.5. "No sane person would have followed that crazy pace," commented a Finnish sports journalists Martti Jukola on the opponents' desire to follow Nurmi's lead. Ray Watson tried to hang on, but it was too much for him, and the American boy finished seventh on the last lap. The rest of the pack followed Nurmi, 20 meters behind, with their eyes crossed. 300 metres before the finish, Nurmi started to take it easy and save his energy for the 5,000 metres. Willy Schärer of Switzerland edged out British favourite H. B. Stallard, who collapsed in a heap at the finish. He was taken to the hospital and recovered the next day.
Nurmi's winning time of 3:53.6 was just one second off his own world record. The other Finnish representatives Frej Liewendahl, Tauno Peussa, and Jaakko Luoma were apparently too well aware of Nurmi's competitive form, so they played it safe in the back of the pack, where they managed to sneak into 8th, 9th, and 12th place.
Audiovisuals
Audiovisuals
1500m & 5000m (IOC)
Results and Reports
Results and Reports
...and then the 5,000 metres
...and then the 5,000 metres
The 5,000 metres saw the first ever meeting in history of Paavo Nurmi of Finland, Ville Ritola of Finland, and Edvin Wide of Sweden. The Finn who had moved to Sweden tried to shake off his former compatriots with a hard start, but he fell victim to it himself. In the second half of the race, Nurmi and Ritola alternated leads to secure a double victory for Finland. As the final stretch began, Ritola moved in to challenge Nurmi, who increased his pace just enough to prevent the New York carpenter from surprising him.
Martti Jukola, a journalist for a Finnish sports magazine and an athlete himself who competed in Paris, hinted rather openly in the magazine's next issue that something was amiss in the race: Ritola did not try to pass Nurmi with all his might on the final stretch. Later, Nurmi said that Ville did indeed try his best.
Ville Ritola commented on the Paris Games in an interview he gave to Finnish radio in New York in 1954. According to the "Wolf of Peräseinäjoki," his relationship with Nurmi was cool. There was no common strategy; the men didn't even talk to each other.
Nurmi and Ritola were effectively professionals during the Olympic years. The first foreigner to speak out on the matter was probably their Swedish rival Edvin Wide. He told a Swedish newspaper that he believed he would be more successful if he could "train full-time like the Finns".
In Finland, Nurmi's victory was celebrated wildly. About 15 cars, each adorned with the Finnish flag, drove around the city of Tampere in the evening. The passengers shouted enthusiastic cheers.
Results and Reports
Results and Reports
Newspaper and Online Stories
Newspaper and Online Stories
Ilta-Sanomat, February 21, 2017 (in Finnish)
AP, July 28, 2020 (Paavo Nurmi)
Nurmi's clock (Suomen Moneta, in Finnish)
A postcard featuring Nurmi who leads the pack in the 5000m. Ritola follows. Photo: Suomen Uheilumuseo (CC BY 4.0).
HAMMER THROW
Tootell claims the gold
HAMMER THROW
Tootell claims the gold
Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Fred Tootell, the winner of the hammer throw, was no surprise, having won the American championship the previous year. He was the first native-born American to win the Olympic hammer throw, as previous U.S. gold medalists had been Irish immigrants who had moved to New York for work.
Matthew McGrath, a 47-year-old veteran, took second place, having already competed in the hammer throw at the 1908 Olympics in London. Erik Eriksson of Finland finished respectable fourth.
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Audiovisuals
Film (IOC)
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Results and Reports
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Online Stories
Fred Tootell, June 27, 2024 (Merrimack Valley Life)
POLE VAULT
Barnes wins gold with Hoff absent
POLE VAULT
Barnes wins gold with Hoff absent
Lee Barnes of the United States won the pole vault with a winning jump of 3.95 metres (12-11 1/2), as Norway's world record holder Charles Hoff, who had jumped 20 centimetres higher, did not compete. Barnes was not spoiled by age, as he was just a few days short of 18 years old. Later, this Utah fellow appeared as a stunt double in a Buster Keaton film.
Ralph Spearow from Georgia, who tied the victory in the American trials and was the favourite to win in Paris, came up short and finished sixth.
The Americans impressed with their technique. Wrote journalist Martti Jukola in a Finnish sports magazine:
"The run-up was strong, the body's moment in the air was incredibly powerful, and the body throw was fiery."
Audiovisuals
Audiovisuals
Film (IOC)
Results and Reports
Results and Reports
Online Stories
Online Stories
Teenager Lee Barnes. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Day 5 Newspaper and Online stories
Day 5 Newspaper and Online stories
Helsingin Sanomat: July 11, 1924 (in Finnish)
Uusi Suomi: July 11, 1924 (in Finnish)
Turun Sanomat: July 11, 1924 (in Finnish)
Aamulehti: July 11, 1924 (in Finnish)
Idrottsbladet, July 11, 1924 (in Swedish)
Hufvudstadsbladet: July 11, 1924 (in Swedish)
Turun Sanomat, July 17, 1924 (in Finnish)
Helsingin Sanomat, July 18, 1924 (in Finnish)
Suomen Urheiluliitto, June 19, 2024 (in Finnish)
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