10,000 metres, Men

Paavo Nurmi, still considered by many athletics historians as the greatest distance runner ever, tried to enter the 1932 Olympics. He was planning on competing in the marathon, and possibly the 10K, but was declared a professional shortly before the Olympics and could not compete. That left the event wide open.

In the race, Finns Volmari Iso-Hollo and Lauri “Lasse” Virtanen pulled away early with Poland’s Janusz Kusociński. By 8K, Virtanen was dropped. Kusociński won the gold medal when he kicked past Iso-Hollo on the final curve, and was well ahead before slowing down in the stretch. Iso-Hollo would return six days later to win the steeplechase gold medal. The precise placements after 6th are disputed, but the version we use is the most accepted.

During World War II, Kusociński worked for the Polish resistance. He was discovered by the Gestapo in March 1940 and was arrested and tortured, and eventually executed on 21 June 1940.