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Finnish runner
Gunnar Hockert
Gunnar Hockert at the 1936 Olympics
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Born
| 12 February 1910
Helsinki
, Finland
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Died
| 11 February 1940 (aged 29)
Johannes
, Finland
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Height
| 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
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Weight
| 67?69 kg (148?152 lb)
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Sport
| Athletics
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Event(s)
| 1500 m, 5000 m,
steeplechase
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Club
| Idrottsklubben 32, Helsinki
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Personal
best(s)
| 1500 ? 3:55.2 (1936)
3000 mS ? 9:26.8 (1935)
5000 m ? 14:22.2 (1936)
[1]
[2]
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Gunnar Mikael Hockert
(12 February 1910 – 11 February 1940) was a
Finnish
runner, winner of the 5000 m race at the
1936 Summer Olympics
.
Biography
[
edit
]
Born in
Helsinki
to a wealthy family, Gunnar Hockert 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 Hockert and defending Olympic Champion and world record holder
Lauri Lehtinen
. In the last lap Hockert overran Lehtinen to win in a world's season best time of 14:22.2. In this same race Swedish
Henry Jonsson
got third place over
Kohei Murakoso
, the Japanese runner who was leading the race at the beginning.
[1]
Later on that season, on 16 September in Stockholm, Hockert ran a new
world record
in 3,000 m (8:14.8). A week later, on the same track, Hockert ran a new world record in
2 miles
(8:57.4) and another week later, he equalled the
Jules Ladoumegue
's 2,000 m world record of 5:21.8 in
Malmo
.
[1]
The rest of Hockert's athletics career was hampered by
rheumatism
, and he never again achieved the times he had run in 1936. He went to the
Winter War
as a
volunteer
, progressing to 2nd lieutenant. He was killed during the Winter War in
Johannes
on the
Karelian Isthmus
, just one day before his thirtieth birthday.
[3]
[4]
References
[
edit
]