Lauri Lehtinen

Lauri Lehtinen

Lauri Lehtinen in 1931
Personal information
Born	10 August 1908 Kerkkoo, Porvoo, Finland
Died	4 December 1973 (aged 65) Helsinki, Finland
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	1500–10000 m
Club	HT, Helsinki
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	1500 m – 3:55.5 (1931) 5000 m – 14:16.9 (1932) 10000 m – 30:15.0 (1937)
Medal record Representing  Finland Olympic Games 1932 Los Angeles 5000 m 1936 Berlin 5000 m

Lauri Aleksanteri Lehtinen (10 August 1908 – 4 December 1973) was a Finnish long-distance runner, winner of a controversial 5000 m race at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Lehtinen ran a new world record in 5000 m (14:17.0) just a month prior to the Olympics, thus becoming a main favourite to the Olympic 5000 m title. In the final, the Finns Lehtinen and Lauri Virtanen led early. They managed to shake off all other competitors except Ralph Hill from the United States. Soon the race turned into a battle between Lehtinen and Hill. On the last lap, Hill tried to overtake Lehtinen. Seeing this, the Finn blocked his way, zig-zagging from one lane to the other to the great exasperation of the crowd. At the finish, Lehtinen crossed first a mere 50 centimetres ahead. Although this was a common tactic in Europe, the American audience was unaccustomed to it, so they booed. Hill declined to file a protest. They both recorded an identical time of 14:30.0. This was the only Olympic race longer than 200 metres in which the top two finishers recorded identical times.

At the 1936 Summer Olympics, Lehtinen couldn't defend his title, finishing second after fellow countryman Gunnar Höckert.

In 1940, Lehtinen donated his Los Angeles gold medal to a soldier who had served with distinction on the Karelian Isthmus. Lehtinen's gesture was a mark of respect for Höckert, who was killed in action on the Isthmus.

In Kerkkoo village in Porvoo, there is a road named after him, "Lauri Lehtisen Tie."