Page "Paavo Nurmi" Paragraph 35

Nurmi was a vegetarian from the age of 12.

He was married to socialite Sylvi Laaksonen from 1932 to 1935.

Laaksonen, who was not interested in athletics, opposed Nurmi raising their newborn son Matti to be a runner and stated to the Associated Press in 1933 that " his concentration on athletics at last forced me to go to the judge for a divorce.

" Matti Nurmi did become a middle-distance runner, and later a " self-made " businessman.

Nurmi's relationship with his son was termed to be " uneasy ".

Matti admired his father more as a businessman than as an athlete, and the two never discussed his running career.

As a runner, Matti was at his best at the 3, 000 m, where he equaled his father's time.

On the famous race on 11 July 1957 when the " three Olavis " ( Salsola, Salonen and Vuorisalo ) broke the world record for the 1, 500 m, Matti Nurmi finished a distant ninth with his personal best, 2. 2 seconds slower than his father's world record from 1924.

Hollywood actress Maila Nurmi, best known as the horror icon " Vampira ", was often referred to as Paavo Nurmi's niece.

However, the kinship is not supported by official documents.