Salt Lake Telegram | 1924-08-08 | Page 4 | Paavo Nurmi, Finn Runner, Outstanding Hero of 1924 Olympic

P AAVO NURMI RUNNER HERO OF 1924 OL OLYMPIC PAAVO NURMI FINN RUNNER I S S 1 ST STAR R TRAINED I H. H ON fiSH ND 1 S B BREAD R AD Nurmi Proves Greater Hero Than American Trained Willie Ritola By Frank Getty United Press Staff Correspondent NEW YORK Aug 8 Through the welter of dazzling performances crashing records Intense heat and I bitter rivalries that characterized ed the Olympic games games games' of 19 1924 14 4 one ope one dominant figure stood tood out above all th the others others cool cool unassuming winn winner win win- n ner nr r of oJ r fo fo places a victor In ever every race In which he started d Paavo Nurmi diminutive distance runner from the the greatest track athlete of f which we have hav any record when endurance adaptability and nd overwhelming o su au- su superiority In his many events are taken Into Nurmi ran ev everything from a a. mile mileto to six and anda a half halt miles mlles and w was s never beaten never seriously threatened He finished first in the 1560 meters the meters team- team race the meters and th meters cross country cross country a record for all modern Olympiads He won the 1500 meters and the meters runs within an an- ho hour r and a a. a half hall one hot afternoon NURMI DIET S IS IR SMALL 4 The 1 Finn trains on a diet of ot black bread and dried fish He drinks little water water not not t over over ver two quarts In all during the week when he was breaking records and running running running run run- ning away with most of ot the first places How much better Nurmi Is than his fellow feIlo countryman Willie Ritola Is demonstrated by the fact that thai hat he ho took on the American trained Finn at all distances and boat beat him hin every every eyer time 1 Strangely enough enough- when there I was glory and plenty to go around there was bad blood between the two Finnish stars Ritola won the meters run the meters steeplechase and finished second 1 in three other xa i-a. races es es scoring a total of 35 points for his country But Buthe Buthe he wanted to beat bea Nurmi He picked the meters run to do It In Nurmi 1 had just won n the 1506 1500 meters an an hour before and presumably should have been due dime for tor a long I S I rest J NURMI REFUSES RITOLA'S HAND 1 When they went to the mark marl for forthe forthe forthe the Ritola set out to make a arace arace arace race of oJ It with Nurmi The latter could have pave loafed along ilo lo g g- gand and won the race had it not not- been for his persistent teammate who drove him every i inch ch o of the way way to to a j close finish In new Olympic record time At the finish satisfied that he couldn't beat Nurmi Ritola held out his hand after the American fashion but the victor turn turned 4 his back Nurmi ran for tor most of ot the distance distance distance dis dis- dis- dis tance looking over his shoulder coaching two of his team mates Including Ritola In fn into to finish second and third behind him