Volmari Iso-Hollo facts for kids
Iso-Hollo running the steeplechase at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 5 January 1907 Ylöjärvi, Finland |
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| Died | 23 June 1969 (aged 62) Heinola, Finland |
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| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 1500-10000 m | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | HT, Helsinki Keravan Urheilijat, Kerava |
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| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 1500 m – 3:54.3 (1936) 3000 mS – 9:03.8 (1936) 5000 m – 14:18.4 (1932) 10000 m – 30:12.6 (1932) |
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Medal record
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Volmari "Vomma" Iso-Hollo was a famous Finnish runner. He was born on January 5, 1907. Volmari competed in the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1936. He was amazing at long-distance running. He won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze medal. Volmari was one of the last "Flying Finns." This was a group of Finnish runners who were super good at long-distance races between the two World Wars.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Volmari Iso-Hollo grew up in Ylöjärvi, Finland. When he was young, he enjoyed many sports. He liked skiing, gymnastics, and even boxing. He started running seriously when he joined the army. He became very good at races of different lengths. These included short races like 400 meters and very long ones like the marathon.
Olympic Achievements
Volmari Iso-Hollo was a true Olympic star. He won several medals during his career.
1932 Los Angeles Olympics
Volmari won his first Olympic gold medal in 1932. This was at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He competed in the 3000 meter steeplechase. This race involves running and jumping over hurdles and water jumps.
There was a strange problem during this race. The officials lost count of the laps! The person counting was watching the decathlon pole vault instead. So, when Volmari was supposed to run his last lap, the bell did not ring. All the runners kept going, running an extra 460 meters. If the race had been the correct 3000 meters, Volmari might have set a new world record. He also won a silver medal in the 10,000 meter race at these Games.
1936 Berlin Olympics
In 1933, Volmari set a new world record for the 3000 meter steeplechase. He ran it in 9 minutes and 9.4 seconds in Lahti, Finland. Because of this, he was a favorite to win at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
He did not disappoint! He won the steeplechase race by three seconds. He even set a new world record of 9 minutes and 3.8 seconds. He also earned a bronze medal in the 10,000 meter race.
Later Life
After the 1936 Olympics, Volmari became sick. He had rheumatism, which is a condition that causes pain in joints and muscles. Even though he was ill, he kept competing until 1945. Volmari Iso-Hollo passed away in 1969 when he was 62 years old. He is remembered as a great Finnish athlete.
