 Sulo Nurmela in 1937 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 13 February 1908 Onkamaa, Miehikkälä, Finland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 13 August 1999 (aged 91) Hamina, Finland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 62–69 kg (137–152 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Cross-country skiing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Vehkaladen Veikot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Sulo Nurmela (13 February 1908 – 13 August 1999) was a Finnish cross-country skier. He won a gold medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics in the 4 × 10 km relay and served as the Finnish flag bearer at those games.
Nurmela won two world titles in 1934: in the individual 18 km and 4 × 10 km relay events. While traveling to Czechoslovakia to the next world championships he became ill with a high fever and had to withdraw from his individual races. Yet he felt obliged to compete in the relay, as Finland had sent only four skiers, and there was no substitute. His first three teammates gained a two-minute lead, and Nurmela managed to finish more than a minute ahead of the competitors and win his third world title.
Nurmela won three races in the Lahti Ski Games: 17 km in 1934 and 1937 and 50 km in 1937. He retired after placing eighth over 50 km at the 1938 World Championships. He worked as a farmer most of his life.
Cross-country skiing results
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games
- 1 medal – (1 gold)
| Year | Age | 18 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 28 | 7 | — | Gold |
World Championships
- 3 medals – (3 gold)
| Year | Age | 18 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 26 | Gold | — | Gold |
| 1935 | 27 | — | — | Gold |
| 1938 | 30 | — | 8 | — |
References
- ^ Sulo Nurmela. sports-reference.com
- Finland. sports-reference.com
- "NURMELA Sulo". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
External links
- Sulo Nurmela at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- Sulo Nurmela at databaseOlympics at the Wayback Machine (archived 26 October 2007)
 | This biographical article relating to Finnish cross-country skiing is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1908 births
- 1999 deaths
- People from Miehikkälä
- Sportspeople from Viipuri Province (Grand Duchy of Finland)
- Finnish male cross-country skiers
- Cross-country skiers at the 1936 Winter Olympics
- Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing
- FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing
- Medalists at the 1936 Winter Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists for Finland
- Sportspeople from Kymenlaakso
- 20th-century Finnish sportsmen
- Finnish cross-country skiing biography stubs