# Finland at the 1948 Summer Olympics

Finland competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. 129 competitors, 123 men and 6 women, took part in 84 events in 16 sports. As the country hosted the next Olympics in Helsinki, the flag of Finland is flown at the closing ceremony.

## Medalists

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
| Gold | Lennart Viitala | Wrestling | Men's freestyle flyweight | 31 July |
| Gold | Tapio Rautavaara | Athletics | Men's javelin throw | 4 August |
| Gold | Veikko Huhtanen | Gymnastics | Men's artistic individual all-around | 13 August |
| Gold | Paavo Aaltonen Veikko Huhtanen Kalevi Laitinen Olavi Rove Aleksanteri Saarvala Sulo Salmi Heikki Savolainen Einari Teräsvirta | Gymnastics | Men's artistic team all-around | 13 August |
| Gold | Paavo Aaltonen | Gymnastics | Men's pommel horse | 13 August |
| Gold | Veikko Huhtanen | Gymnastics | Men's pommel horse | 13 August |
| Gold | Heikki Savolainen | Gymnastics | Men's pommel horse | 13 August |
| Gold | Paavo Aaltonen | Gymnastics | Men's vault | 13 August |
| Silver | Kaisa Parviainen | Athletics | Women's javelin throw | 31 July |
| Silver | Erkki Kataja | Athletics | Men's pole vault | 2 August |
| Silver | Pauli Janhonen | Shooting | Men's 300 metre free rifle, three positions | 6 August |
| Silver | Kelpo Gröndahl | Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman light heavyweight | 6 August |
| Silver | Kurt Wires | Canoeing | Men's K-1 10,000 metres | 11 August |
| Silver | Veikko Huhtanen | Gymnastics | Men's parallel bars | 13 August |
| Silver | Olavi Rove | Gymnastics | Men's vault | 13 August |
| Bronze | Reino Kangasmäki | Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman flyweight | 6 August |
| Bronze | Thor Axelsson Nils Björklöf | Canoeing | Men's K-2 10,000 metres | 11 August |
| Bronze | Thor Axelsson Nils Björklöf | Canoeing | Men's K-2 1000 metres | 12 August |
| Bronze | Paavo Aaltonen | Gymnastics | Men's artistic individual all-around | 13 August |
| Bronze | Veikko Huhtanen | Gymnastics | Men's horizontal bar | 13 August |

## Athletics
### Key

* Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
* Q = Qualified for the next round
* q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
* NR = National record
* NH = No height
* DNF = Did not finish
* N/A = Round not applicable for the event
* Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

### Track & road events

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Runar Holmberg | 400 metres | 50.6 | 5 | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Olavi Talja | 400 metres | 50.4 | 4 | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Tauno Suvanto | 400 metres | 51.5 | 4 | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Denis Johansson | 1500 metres | 3:54.0 | 3 | — | — | — | — | Unknown | 12 |
| Väinö Koskela | 5000 metres | 14:58.3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 14:41.0 | 7 |
| Väinö Mäkelä | 5000 metres | 14:45.8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 14:43.0 | 8 |
| Helge Perälä | 5000 metres | 15:07.8 | 4 | — | — | — | — | DNF | DNF |
| Salomon Könönen | 10,000 metres | — | — | — | — | — | — | no time | 9 |
| Viljo Heino | 10,000 metres | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | DNF |
| Evert Heinström | 10,000 metres | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | DNF |
| Pentti Siltaloppi | 3000 metres steeplechase | 9:22.4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 9:19.6 | 5 |
| Aarne Kainlauri | 3000 metres steeplechase | 9:25.8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 9:29.0 | 10 |
| Tauno Suvanto Olavi Talja Runar Holmberg Berth Storskrubb | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:20.6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3:24.8 | 4 |
| Viljo Heino | marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2:41:32.0 | 11 |
| Jussi Kurikkala | marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2:42:48.0 | 13 |
| Mikko Hietanen | marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | DNF |

### Field events

| Athlete | Event | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Distance | Position |
| Valle Rautio | triple jump | 14.700 | 6 |
| Kuuno Honkonen | high jump | 1.80 | 17 |
| Nils Nicklén | high jump | NH | NH |
| Erkki Kataja | pole vault | 4.20 | |
| Valto Olenius | pole vault | 3.95 | 7 |
| Yrjö Lehtilä | shot put | 15.05 | 6 |
| Jaakko Jouppila | shot put | 14.59 | 7 |
| Veikko Nyqvist | discus throw | 47.33 | 6 |
| Arvo Huutoniemi | discus throw | 45.28 | 9 |
| Tapio Rautavaara | javelin throw | 69.77 | |
| Pauli Vesterinen | javelin throw | 65.89 | 4 |
| Soini Nikkinen | javelin throw | 58.05 | 12 |
| Lauri Tamminen | hammer throw | 53.08 | 5 |

### Combined events – Decathlon

| Athlete | Event | 100 m | LJ | SP | HJ | 400 m | 110H | DT | PV | JT | 1500 m | Final | Rank |
| Yrjö Mäkelä | Result | 11.9 | 6.20 | 13.10 | 1.8 | 54.3 | 17.5 | 36.12 | 3.2 | 62.55 | 4:58 | - | 13 |
| Yrjö Mäkelä | Points | 618 | 603 | 725 | 786 | 656 | 597 | 600 | 575 | 835 | 426 | 6,421 | 13 |
| Yrjö Mäkelä | Adjusted Points | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6,064 | 13 |
| Hannes Sonck | Result | 11.9 | 6.715 | 11.83 | 1.75 | 55.2 | 16.8 | 34.71 | 3.4 | 48.24 | 5:01.8 | - | 17 |
| Hannes Sonck | Points | 618 | 728 | 605 | 727 | 618 | 674 | 561 | 652 | 555 | 404 | 6,142 | 17 |
| Hannes Sonck | Adjusted Points | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5,883 | 17 |

## Cycling

Five cyclists, all men, represented Finland in 1948.

### Individual road race

* Paul Backman
* Torvald Högström
* Erkki Koskinen

### Team road race

* Paul Backman
* Torvald Högström
* Erkki Koskinen

### Time trial

* Onni Kasslin

### Team pursuit

* Onni Kasslin
* Paavo Kuusinen
* Erkki Koskinen
* Torvald Högström

## Fencing

Six fencers, all men, represented Finland in 1948.

### Men's foil

* Kauko Jalkanen
* Heikki Raitio

### Men's team foil

* Kauko Jalkanen, Nils Sjöblom, Erkki Kerttula, Heikki Raitio

### Men's épée

* Nils Sjöblom
* Erkki Kerttula
* Ilmari Vartia

### Men's team épée

* Nils Sjöblom, Olavi Larkas, Erkki Kerttula, Ilmari Vartia, Kauko Jalkanen

### Men's sabre

* Erkki Kerttula
* Nils Sjöblom
* Kauko Jalkanen

## Modern pentathlon

Three male pentathletes represented Finland in 1948.
* Lauri Vilkko
* Olavi Larkas
* Viktor Platan

## Rowing

Finland had five male rowers participate in one out of seven rowing events in 1948.

### Men's coxed four

* Veikko Lommi
* Helge Forsberg
* Oiva Lommi
* Osrik Forsberg
* Veli Autio (cox)

## Shooting

Twelve shooters represented Finland in 1948. Pauli Janhonen won a silver medal in the 300 m rifle event.

### 25 metre pistol

* Leo Ravilo
* Väinö Heusala
* Jaakko Rintanen

### 50 metre pistol

* Eino Saarnikko
* Klaus Lahti
* Väinö Skarp

### 300 metre rifle

* Pauli Janhonen
* Kullervo Leskinen
* Olavi Elo

### 50 metre rifle

* Albert Ravila
* Veijo Kaakinen
* Onni Hynninen