Great Olympians

Biographies - NU


Werner Nüesch

B. 1904, from Zürich, represented Switzerland; D. 1954
Athletics
1924 HP
Men's Shot Put QU:21st QU:10th 150.96
Men's Discus Throw QU:16th 9.6
160.56


Lawrence Adam "Larry" Nuesslein

B. 1895-05-16, USA; D. 1971-05-10
Shooting (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
1920 HP
Small-Bore Rifle gold 6400
Small-Bore Rifle, team gold 1600
Military Rifle, 300m, standing bronze 640
Military Rifle, 300m, standing, team silver 250
Running Deer, single shot 7th 400
Running Deer, single shot, team bronze 640
Running Deer, double shot sixth? 640
Running Deer, double shot, team fourth 400
10970 10970

Olympic Competitor nr 7226


Mauro Numa

Italy
Fencing (2 gold)
1984 1988 1992 HP
Foil, individual gold SF QF 8831.3
Foil, Team gold 7th sixth 2325
11156.3


Julius Nuninger

From Mülhausen/Mulhouse in the (French) Alsace, which was German between 1870 and 1918. His family has most likely remained in that village throughout, so according to the nephew-rule, I count him as French.

Olympic Competitor nr 1150


Norair Nurikian

Bulgaria
Weight-Lifting (2 gold)
1972 1976 HP
-56 kg gold 19200
-60 kg gold
19200


Paavo Nurmi

B. 1897-06-13, Turku, Finland; D. 1973-10-02
Track & Field Men (9 gold, 3 silver)
1920 1924 1928 HP
1500 m gold 6400
5000 m silver gold silver 18000
10000 m gold gold 19200
3000 m Team gold 1600
Cross-Country gold gold 16000
Cross-Country, Team gold gold 3200
3000 m Steeple silver 6000
70400

In 1924 he ran the finals of the 1.500 m and 5.000 m with only 26 minutes interval. He also wanted to compete in the 800m and the 10km, but he was not allowed to run these by his federation. Other Finnish athletes finished 1,3 and 4, but it is said that even while Ville Ritola was winning the 10 km in a world record time of 30.23.2, Nurmi was on a training run over the same distance, which he completed in 29 min 58 sec. Nurmi did set an official world record of 30.06.2 later on, and that was to last 13 years.
Two days after hit two gold medals, the cross-country was run. It would be called the heat battle at Colombes. 23 out of 38 competitors did not complete the race, but Nurmi kept his cool and won with ease. The next day, while most other competitors were still in hospital, Nurmi was back on the track to win his fifrth gold medal of the 1924 games (the.team race).
The fourth gold medal at Paris was the team cross-country race. Nurmi thanked that gold to Heikki Liimatainen, who finished in eighth place despite needing two minutes to cover the final 30 meters, yet another victim of the heat.
Nurmi always ran with a stopwatch and was very dissapointed when at Amsterdam he fell during the semi final of the steeple-chase and damaged his watch in the water jump. Frenchman Lucien Duquesne helped him get up and Nurmi thanked him by shepherding him to the tape, even offering him the first place, which the Frenchman declined.
Nurmi wanted to compete in Los Angeles, but was barred from doing so over allegations of professionalism. This embittered him, and the decision was not upheld in Finland, where he was allowed to continue competing.
He set 22 world records in his career, from 1500m to 20 km.
He carried the torch into the Olympic stadium in 1952. There is a statue for him outside the Helsinki stadium.
(608 HP)


Stacey Nuveman

B. 1978-04-26, La Canada Flintridge, CA, USA
Softball (2 gold, 1 silver)
2000 2004 2008 HP
Softball gold gold silver 12600
12600


Written 2002-08-02 - last modified 2017-02-23

This page is part of the site "Full Olympians" by Herman De Wael. See here for a full Introduction.