Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics

Helsinki, Finland. The USSR appeared for the first time as Zatopek won his unique triple

Overview

A record 69 nations attended, including the USSR and Israel for the first time, with Germany returning as one team. Emil Zatopek of Czechoslovakia won the 5,000 meters, the 10,000 meters and the marathon within eight days, a triple no runner has matched. The Cold War sports rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States began in earnest here.