Gunnar Höckert
Encyclopedia
Gunnar Mikael Höckert (February 12, 1910, Helsinki
– February 11, 1940) was a Finnish
athlete, winner of 5000 m at the 1936 Summer Olympics
.
Born in Helsinki
to a wealthy family, Gunnar Höckert had only one great season in 1936.
The 5000 m final at the Berlin
Olympics
started in a good pace. The tempo was dictated by American
Donald Lash, but he was overtaken by three Finns after 2,000 m. Soon the race turned into a battle between Höckert and defending Olympic Champion and world record holder Lauri Lehtinen
. In the last lap Höckert overran Lehtinen to win in a world's season best time of 14:22.2.
Later on that season, on September 16 in Stockholm, Höckert ran a new world record
in 3,000 m (8:14.8). A week later, on the same track, Höckert ran a new world record in 2 miles
(8:57.4) and another week later, he equalled the Jules Ladoumègue's
2,000 m world record 5:21.8 in Malmö
.
The rest of the Höckert's athletics career was hampered by rheumatism, and he never achieved the times ran in 1936. He went to the Winter War
as a volunteer. 2nd lieutenant Gunnar Höckert was killed on the Karelian Isthmus
just one day before his thirtieth birthday.
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
– February 11, 1940) was a Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
athlete, winner of 5000 m at the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
.
Born in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
to a wealthy family, Gunnar Höckert had only one great season in 1936.
The 5000 m final at the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
started in a good pace. The tempo was dictated by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Donald Lash, but he was overtaken by three Finns after 2,000 m. Soon the race turned into a battle between Höckert and defending Olympic Champion and world record holder Lauri Lehtinen
Lauri Lehtinen
Lauri Aleksanteri Lehtinen was a Finnish athlete, winner of a controversial 5000 m at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles....
. In the last lap Höckert overran Lehtinen to win in a world's season best time of 14:22.2.
Later on that season, on September 16 in Stockholm, Höckert ran a new world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
in 3,000 m (8:14.8). A week later, on the same track, Höckert ran a new world record in 2 miles
Two miles
The 2 mile is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets, perhaps because it provides an easier record to break for meet promoters , as well as its historical chronology. It is largely superseded by the 3000 m and 5000 m, and by the 3200m in...
(8:57.4) and another week later, he equalled the Jules Ladoumègue's
Jules Ladoumegue
Jules Ladoumègue was a French middle-distance runner. He became a running star as the sport enjoyed a huge resurgence at the start of the Great Depression, fueled in large part by newsreel coverage...
2,000 m world record 5:21.8 in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
.
The rest of the Höckert's athletics career was hampered by rheumatism, and he never achieved the times ran in 1936. He went to the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
as a volunteer. 2nd lieutenant Gunnar Höckert was killed on the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
just one day before his thirtieth birthday.