The controversial 5000-meters race between Lauri Lehtinen of Finland and Ralph Hill of the United States in the 1932 Olympic Games remains to this day in my memory as the most exciting finish of a race I have ever seen. From my story of that day's events the following excerpt is taken.
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In another roaring rush for the tape that had the crowd on its feet yelling, screaming and then cutting loose with a chorus of booes, directed at the new and --- so thought the crowd - an undeserving Olympic champion, Lauri Lehtinen of Finland lunged for the tape inches ahead of Ralph Hill of the United States to win the final of the 5000 meters run in the new Olympic record time of 14 mm. 30 secs.
It was a bitterly contested race in which Hill shook off the fading Lauri Virtanen of Finland and stayed right in the footsteps of Lehtinen throughout the running. Around the final turn they came, Lehtinen the Finn who recently took a big hunk off Paavo Nurmi's world record and Hill, the first American in years to dare to threaten Finland's ascendancy in the distances.
Off the turn they came with Lehtinen leading and Hill but a stride behind. The Finn hugged the pole close as he came into the home stretch, the finish less than 80 meters away. The crowd rose and howled as the former University of Oregon runner, now with the Olympic Club of San Francisco, made his bid.
Lehtinen could see the shadow of Hill creeping up on his right. Lehtinen moved over into the second lane. Hill sidled over, too, and came almost abreast --- not quite. Before Hill could draw even, Lehtinen moved into the third lane.
Hill dropped back and tried to pass on the inside. Looking over his shoulder, Lehtinen saw what the American was trying to do. So the Finn moved back into the second lane. Again Hill tried to pass Lehtinen on the right and again Lehtinen, running a zig-zag course, and turning to keep an eye on Hill, ran out into the third path.
By now bedlam had broken loose. The crowd was yelling for Hill to come on, for Lehtinen to be a sport and give the American a chance to pass on one side or the other.
Again Lehtinen moved over toward the pole but before he could quite close the gap Hill was there with what one might figuratively call a foot in the door. Only it was a torso, and Lehtinen could not quite gain lane one again without forcing Hill clear off the track.
At this precise moment the tape loomed up. Both men lunged for it, and the Finn managed to stumble over the line first, a winner by less than a foot.
The two men stepped off the track and the spectators made the old bowl resound with booes against Lehtinen's tactics.
(Note- It was at this moment the situation was saved by Bill Henry, technical director of the Games, who, on the public address system, admonished the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, please remember that these people are our guests:" The booes stopped and a smattering of polite applause took their place.)
Charges of unsportsmanlike conduct were lodged against Lehtinen, but after more than an hour of deliberation it was announced that in the opinion of the judges the Finn had not wilfully interfered with the American.
Lehtinen was officially censured in effect by a statement issued by J. S. Edstrom of Sweden, president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, who said, "Although the authorities of the Amateur Athletic Union (of the United States) consider the race NOT fairly run there will be no official protest from either Mr. Hill or the United States."
Lehtinen's case last night was argued by Hill himself, who said:
"I do not think that Lauri deliberately tried to keep me from the tape. He was turning around to see where I was and I know from experience that when an exhausted man does that he loses his sense of direction. Lehtinen certainly got in my way, but I think that he had too much left and could have beaten me anyway. I plan no protest, because I believe that Lehtinen was merely steering a blind course. I have done the same thing myself."
(Note- Intentional or otherwise, Lehtinen clearly committed a least four and probably five acts of interference against Hill in the last 80 meters of the race. I have always believed that but for the interference, Hill would have won; and that Hill's statement in behalf of Lehtinen, together with his refusal to protest the decision, stand as one of the true Beau Gestes of sport.)
Results of that 1932 Olympic 5000 meters:
1. Lauri Lehtinen, Finland 14:30.0
2. Ralph Hill, USA 14:30.0
3. Lauri Virtanen, Finland 14:44,0
4. John Savidan, New Zealand 14:49.6
5. Jean - Gunnar Lindgren, Sweden 14:54.8
6. Max Syring, Germany 14:59. 0
In one of his better speeches, Avery Brundage yesterday told a huge luncheon of American-Australian Society members, "We have been able to get the athletes of East and West Germany to march under one flag (the old black, red and yellow flag of pre-Nazi days) and this is more than the politicians of the world have been able to do. The real story is that 69 countries are here, not the few that have withdrawn."
Copyright© 1959, Track & Field News