Games of the XV Olympiad - Helsinki1952

The Olympic debut of the USSR engendered a rivalry between the USA and the USSR for the dominance of the Olympic scene, but also a sporting cold war which culminated with the Games boycotts in Moscow in 1980 and in Los Angeles in 1984.
For the first time the organisers kept secret the names of the last individual to carry the torch and the individual to light the cauldron, which became a policy.
The Finns had a reason to do so for they had nominated the legendary runner Paavo Nurmi as the final torch bearer. Namely, Nurmi was not on the best terms with the IOC, due to his 1932 expulsion from the Los Angeles Games on the grounds of the “violation of the amateur principle”. The Finns rehabilitated Nurmi who entered the stadium accompanied by a salvo of applause and handed over the torch to yet another Finnish running legend Johan Kolehmainen who lit the cauldron at the stadium.
Yugoslavia took part in the Games with 96 athletes competing in 11 sports and won three medals. The gold was won by the coxless four, and the two silvers by the men’s water polo team and, for the second consecutive time, the footballers following two dramatic matches against the USSR team.

Candidate cities: Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia.

SPORTS (17)

• Aquatics¹
• Athletics
• Cycling
• Boxing
• Rowing
• Gymnastics
• Weightlifting
• Sailing
• Canoe/kayak

• Equestrian
• Basketball
• Fencing
• Modern Pentathlon
• Wrestling
• Shooting
• Football
• Hockey

NATIONAL MEDAL TOTAL