Lasse Viren the long distance runner from Finland who won gold in the 5000 and 10,000 meters in both the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games turns 63 today. Almost as incredible Viren in the Montreal Games after winning his 2 golds-entered the Marathon a race he had never run before and finished 5th in that race. He was trying to equal the great Emil Zatopak who won the 5000, 10,000 and Marathon in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.

Lasse Viren seemed to perform at his best at Olympic Games. He said it was because he put a priority on the Olympics. Others believed he was blood boosting. What he was accused of doing was doctors would extract a quart of blood from a runner and freeze it. The runner’s body would then rebuild blood to normal levels. Before a major competition the blood would be unfrozen and reinserted into the runner’s body which would increase his hemoglobin level and increasing oxygen capacity and providing the runner with greater endurance. Viren has always denied that he practiced this. He said he always trained in high altitudes, that he placed more importance on Olympic Games than other meets.

I enjoy watching the distance races more than anything else in the Olympic Games.  I enjoyed watching Viren run. in those games. He was a guy i was rooting for.Lasse Viren a policeman from Finland, one of the greatest long distance runners in Olympic history.

He got in a little hot water in Montreal after winning the 5000 he took his shoes off and held them up [pictured below} the IOC called him in-accusing him of commercialism. Viren explained he took his shoes off due to blisters on his feet. The IOC was satisfied with the explanation.