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Lauri Pihkala

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Lauri Pihkala
Personal information
Born5 January 1888
Pihtipudas, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
Died20 May 1981 (aged 93)
Helsinki, Finland
Height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight79 kg (174 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)800 m, high jump, discus throw
ClubHKV, Helsinki
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800 m – 1:58.1 (1911)
HJ – 1.75 m (1909)
DT – 31.40 m (1906)[1]
A 1988 postage stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala.

Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala (born Gummerus, 5 January 1888 – 20 May 1981) was the inventor of pesäpallo, the Finnish variant of baseball.[2] He was born in the vicarage of Pihtipudas, the son of the minister Alexander Gummerus.[3] In 1969 he became one of the first persons to receive an honorary doctorate in Sport Sciences from the University of Jyväskylä, together with president Urho Kekkonen and Professor Kaarina Kari.[4]

Athletics

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Lauri Pihkala at the Olympic Games
Games Event Rank Results Notes
1908 Summer Olympics High jump 16th 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) Height was measured in inches. Source:[5]
Discus throw 12th–42nd unknown Source:[6]
Shot put Did not start Source:[7]
1912 Summer Olympics 800 metres, heats Did not finish

In the 1910s he became the first Finnish professional coach in athletics, and also worked as a physical education instructor with the Finnish Army.[2]

Pihkala was known for being an avid sports fan, and he developed several outdoor games.

Other

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During the Finnish Civil War he was responsible for propaganda in the White Guard flying unit "Devils of Kuhmoinen" of major Hans Kalm.

Pihkala's brother Martti Pihkala was a right-wing political activist. Lauri Pihkala didn't write any political texts in his publications. He tried to integrate Finnish working class to the society and hoped that sports could be one tool there.[8]

Some writers claim that Pihkala should be responsible for a massacre in Harmoinen village in March 1918. This is not true. The murderers belonged to Devils of Kuhmoinen, but Pihkala was not present there.[9]

Memorial of Pihkala by sculptor Nina Sailo was unveiled in 1988 on the south-east side of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.[10]

Pihkala was a supporter of eugenics with the goal of strengthening Finland’s military.[11]

References

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  1. ^ Lauri Pihkala. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ a b Lauri Pihkala (1888-1981). Suomen urheilun Hall of Fame
  3. ^ Lounamaa, Esko; Räisänen, Pentti (2009). The Village of Happy Men (1st ed.). Esko Lounamaa. ISBN 952-91-3802-4.
  4. ^ "Lauri Pihkala". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  5. ^ Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian (2001). The 1908 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, With Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States: McFarland. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-7864-0598-5.
  6. ^ Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian (2001). The 1908 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, With Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States: McFarland. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-7864-0598-5.
  7. ^ Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian (2001). The 1908 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, With Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States: McFarland. p. 112, endnote 238. ISBN 978-0-7864-0598-5.
  8. ^ Virtapohja, Kalle (2022). Lauri Pihkala : Koko kansan Tahko. Helsinki: Docendo. p. 84. ISBN 978-952-382-200-9.
  9. ^ Virtapohja, pp. 89–93.
  10. ^ "Lauri Tahko Pihkala". HAM. Helsinki Art Museum. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  11. ^ NotIzzyClarke (5 May 2020). "Forget Korean Baseball: Finland's version of baseball, Pesäpallo, is the quarantine sport you never knew you needed". Mile High Hockey. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
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