Gunnar Höckert

Gunnar Höckert

Gunnar Höckert at the 1936 Olympics
Personal information
Born	12 February 1910 Helsinki, Finland
Died	11 February 1940 (aged 29) Karelian Isthmus, Finland
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	67–69 kg (148–152 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	1500 m, 5000 m, steeplechase
Club	Idrottsklubben 32, Helsinki
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	1500 – 3:55.2 (1936) 3000 mS – 9:26.8 (1935) 5000 m – 14:22.2 (1936)
Medal record Representing Finland Olympic Games 1936 Berlin 5000 m

Gunnar Mikael Höckert (12 February 1910 – 11 February 1940) was a Finnish runner, winner of the 5000 m race at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Born in Helsinki to a wealthy family, Gunnar Höckert 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 Höckert and defending Olympic Champion and world record holder Lauri Lehtinen. In the last lap Höckert overran Lehtinen to win in a world's season best time of 14:22.2. In this same race Gunnar's teammate Henry Jonsson got third place over Kohei Murakoso, the Japanese runner who was leading the race at the beginning.

Later on that season, on 16 September in Stockholm, Höckert ran a new world record in 3,000 m (8:14.8). A week later, on the same track, Höckert 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 Malmö.

The rest of Höckert'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 on the Karelian Isthmus, just one day before his thirtieth birthday.