Ove Andersen

Prior to his athletics career Ove Andersen graduated as a forester and worked in a sawmill in Lahti, Finland. Andersen’s breakthrough year as a long-distance runner was 1925, and he went on to win 5,000 metres races in Hungary and Germany. The following year he moved to the United States, running for the Finnish-American Athletic Club in New York, where he finished in third place in the six-mile run at the US Championships. After competing at the American indoor track championships during the winter, Andersen returned to Finland in the spring of 1927 to prepare for qualification for the Olympics. His hard work paid off when he won the bronze medal in the 3,000 metres steeplechase at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. Finland took a clean-sweep in the race with Toivo Loukola winning gold and Paavo Nurmi winning silver.

Andersen returned to the United States following the Amsterdam Olympics before returning home in 1931. At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics he worked as a massage therapist for the Finnish team. Andersen continued to work in coaching roles across Europe during the 1930s and later as an officer in the Continuation War.

Personal Best: 3000S – 9:35.6e (1928).