HELSINKI 1952
- 19 July – 3 August 1952
- 149 official medal events
- 4,925 competitors from 69 countries.
- Finnish team: 260 athletes took part in official competitions.
The Games of the XVth Olympiad were a huge effort for Finland and Helsinki. A country of little more than four million people and a city of less than 400,000 organised the largest Olympic Games ever seen to that date. The Helsinki Games saw the entry of the Soviet Union and the return of Germany and Japan to the Olympic arena. The successful hosting of the Olympic Games was a great source of pride for the Finnish nation. Finns still like to call their 1952 Games as the “last real Olympic Games”.
In terms of medals the Helsinki Games were a qualified success for the host nation. Most disappointing for the Finnish sports public was that the track and field competitions at the Olympic Stadium yielded only one bronze medal, won by Toivo Hyytiäinen in men’s javelin throw. Lacking heroes of its own, the Finnish audience cheered for Czechoslovakia’s Emil Zátopek, winner of three gold medals in long-distance races. The best Finnish medal sport at the Helsinki Games was canoeing. Thorvald Strömberg won one and the pair Kurt Wires–Yrjö Hietanen two gold medals in men’s kayak events, while Sylvi Saimo became the first Finnish female Olympic champion in a summer sport. The other two Finnish gold medallists at the Helsinki Games were the wrestler Kelpo Gröndahl and the boxer Pentti Hämäläinen. All in all, Finland won medals in nine different sports, including for the first time rowing and modern pentathlon.
The Olympic host nation had a right and even certain obligation to participate in as many sports and events as possible. At the Helsinki Games Finland was represented in 138 of the 149 official medal events, in many with no chances of success whatsoever. The football team was eliminated in the first round by Austria. Finland also participated in Olympic basketball for the first time and in field hockey for the only time. Pesäpallo, the Finnish variant of baseball, also made an Olympic appearance at the Helsinki Games as a demonstration sport.
Medal Standings
| G | S | B | Total | ||
| 1 | USA | 40 | 19 | 17 | 76 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 22 | 30 | 19 | 71 |
| 3 | Hungary | 16 | 10 | 16 | 42 |
| 4 | Sweden | 12 | 13 | 10 | 35 |
| 5 | Italy | 8 | 9 | 4 | 21 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| 7 | France | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
| 8 | Finland | 6 | 3 | 13 | 22 |
| 9 | Australia | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| 10 | Norway | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 11 | Switzerland | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 12 | South Africa | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 13 | Jamaica | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 14 | Belgium | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Denmark | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 16 | Turkey | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 17 | Japan | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| 18 | Great Britain | 1 | 2 | 8 | 11 |
| 19 | Argentina | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 20 | Poland | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 21 | Yugoslavia | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Canada | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 23 | Romania | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 24 | Brazil | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 26 | India | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 27 | Luxembourg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Germany | 0 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
| 29 | Netherlands | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 30 | Iran | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 31 | Chile | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 32 | Lebanon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Austria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 34 | Mexico | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ireland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Spain | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 37 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Uruguay | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 40 | Venezuela | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Egypt | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Bulgaria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Portugal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
