 Kolehmainen in 1920 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 December 1889 |
| Died | 11 January 1966 (aged 76) Helsinki, Finland |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
| Club | Helsingin Jyry FAAC, New York |
Juho Pietari "Hannes" Kolehmainen (Finnish:[ˈhɑnːesˈkolehmɑi̯nen]ⓘ; 9 December 1889 – 11 January 1966) was aFinnish four-time Olympic gold medalist and a world record holder in middle- and long-distance running.[1] He was the first in a generation of great Finnish long-distance runners, often named the "Flying Finns". Kolehmainen competed for a number of years in the United States, wearing the Winged Fist of theIrish American Athletic Club.[2] He also enlisted in the14th Regiment of the National Guard of New York,[2] and became aU.S. citizen in 1921.[3]
![Portrait of Hannes Kolehmainen, [ca. 1912]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2fb%2fb0%2fFinnish_Canadian_collections_-_portrait_of_Finnish_gold_medalist_Hannes_Kolehmainen_%2528I0058048%2529.tiff%2flossy-page1-150px-Finnish_Canadian_collections_-_portrait_of_Finnish_gold_medalist_Hannes_Kolehmainen_%2528I0058048%2529.tiff.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
Kolehmainen, a devotedvegetarian[2] andbricklayer by trade,[3] was from a sportive family fromKuopio – his brothersWilliam andTatu were also strong long-distance runners.
Kolehmainen won the 1911 BritishAAA Championships 4 miles title at the1911 AAA Championships.[4][5][6]
Hannes was one of the stars of the1912 Summer Olympics inStockholm, winning three gold medals. His most memorable was the one in the 5000 m. In that event, he ran a heroic duel with FrenchmanJean Bouin. After leading the field together for most of the race, Bouin was only defeated by Kolehmainen in the final metres, in world record time. In addition, Kolehmainen won the 10,000 m and the now-discontinuedcross country event. With the Finnish team, he also obtained a silver place in the cross country team event.[7]
Kolehmainen's sportive career was interrupted by theFirst World War, but he remained an athlete to be reckoned with, although his specialty had now shifted to the longer distances, especially themarathon. At thefirst post-war Olympics inAntwerp, he won the gold medal in this event. He would also enter the Olympic marathon in 1924, but did not complete that race.[7]
By then, Kolehmainen had found a worthy successor inPaavo Nurmi. Together with Nurmi, as the final link in thetorch relay, he lit theOlympic Flame at the1952 Summer Olympics inHelsinki. He died in that same city, fourteen years later.[7]
Media related toHannes Kolehmainen at Wikimedia Commons
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's 3,000 m World Record Holder 24 September 1911 – 24 May 1912 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's 3,000 m World Record Holder 12 July 1912 – 15 July 1918 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's 5,000 m World Record Holder 10 June 1912 – 12 September 1922 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's Marathon World Record Holder 22 August 1920 – 12 October 1925 | Succeeded by |
| Olympic Games | ||
| Preceded by | Final Olympic torchbearer Helsinki 1952 With:Paavo Nurmi | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Final Summer Olympic torchbearer Helsinki 1952 With:Paavo Nurmi | Succeeded by |
| 5 miles |
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| 10,000 metres |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
