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5000 m. Lasse Artturi Virén (born 22 July 1949) is a Finnish former long-distance runner, winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. Virén recaptured the image of the "Flying Finns" promoted by runners like Hannes Kolehmainen, Paavo Nurmi and Ville Ritola in the 1920s.
- Lasse Artturi Virén
- Finnish
- 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Apr 15, 2024 · Olympic Games. Lasse Virén (born July 22, 1949, Myrskylä, Finland) is a Finnish distance runner who was the first athlete to win gold medals in both the 5,000- and 10,000-metre races at consecutive Olympic Games: at Munich, West Germany, in 1972 and at Montreal in 1976.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal, Viren had an easier time in the 10,000m. Carlos Lopes led for most of the race. Lasse passed him 450 metres from the finish and won by 30 metres. The 5,000m was harder. Although the Finnish athlete was in the lead at the beginning of the last lap, only five metres separated the first six runners.
Prior to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany, the father of Finnish runner Lasse Virén had a dream that his son was victorious in the 10,000-metre run. Though the vision would unexpectedly prove true, it most certainly didn’t include the dramatic fashion with which Virén took the gold.
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Biography. Lasse Virén extended the line of great Finnish distance runners when he won the 5,000 and 10,000 metre events at two consecutive Olympics – 1972 and 1976. He also competed in the marathon at the 1976 Olympics, attempting to emulate Emil Zátopek ’s 1952 distance triple, and in his first attempt at the marathon distance, finished ...
