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Page last updated at 07:31 GMT, Friday, 8 August 2008 08:31 UK

Opening ceremony: Finnish legends
An athlete carries the flame up the Olympic tower to the waiting Hannes Kölehmainen(left) and legendary Finnish athlete Paavo Nurmi lights the cauldron at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki

In a move that has become more common in recent years, the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 got off to a wonderful start when two legendary Finnish runners lit the flame.

Distance runner Paavo Nurmi, who won nine golds and three silvers in the 1920s, lit the cauldron on the floor of the stadium.

The 55-year-old delighted the packed stands when he entered the stadium carrying the torch.

And Hannes Kölehmainen, 62, who won four golds and a silver, and was the first man to complete the 5,000m and 10,000m double, lit a flame at the top of the Olympic tower.



related internet links:
1952 Olympics
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