Jim Ryun, ME: n haltija tuolloin ( 3.33, 1 , kaatui alkuerissä. Luulen, että Vasala olisi silti voittanut ja tehnyt uuden ME: n, mikäli vauhti olisi ollut kova alusta asti. Olihan Vasala juossut ME:n pintaan 800 metrillä ennen kisoja, muttei silti osallistunut sille matkalle.

What a line up, and Jim Ryun should, also, have been there!

uskomatonta!!!ku aattelee tänä päivänä.

Samuli Vasala is Pekka's nephew and he ran 3:38 for 1500m (2001) and 13:28 for 5k (1998)

you can see blood dopers if you look at their stats. Kaarlo Maaninka was blood doper that's true, when you look he's stats he usually ran 28:20 for 10k, but when it was olympic year 1980 he ran under 28:00,27:44. the point is athlete can't ran slow times in the early summer and then one week later much faster, but if you look Vasala's times he run 2-3 seconds better every year 1969 3:42 1970 3:41 1971 3:38 1972 3:36 then he got injured and stopped he's career.

calliuz LOL some bitter swedish fan have made that video, if you can look that list there are 50% of runners from 1920'S there wasn't even food enough back then LOL. comments and ratings are disapled because that video is just a joke! and there were doping tests in 70's no-one didn't caught for anything, that's so pointless to come here and blame every single runner for cheating

watch?v=NYwBqljyANE&feature=re lated - The Flying Finns (e.g Pekka Vasala)

Sure they have! Just e.g. take a look at "List of doping cases in sport" on Wikipedia. It's not totally uptodate but they list 15 finns, 13 swedes and 12 norwegians. So there you have it - you absolutely can't trust anybody or any country when it comes to competitive sports and doping...

vasala said back then "it is suicidal for other runners to copy my hill sessions without adequate background". so i guess he was in ultimate shape. he looked very relaxed, i believe he could have ran even faster than 3:36

In your country no one has never used anything.. or how it is ?

We shouldn't forget that Pekka Vasala, Lasse Virén, Martti Vainio and lot of other distance runners from many other countries were *most likely* using blood doping (+ steroids) during the 70's and beginning of the 80's. And of course the communistic East Germans were the unparalleled masters of cheating...

(FIN) Pekka Vasalal o kyl maailman hienoin juoksu tyyli, ei edes miesten 5000m huippumiehillä oo nii hienoo tyylii vaik Kenenisa Bekelel, Daniel Kipchirchir Komenil ja Bernard Lagat:l o hieno tyyli mut Vasala o kyl...se o virheetö! (GBR) Pekka Vasala has the most greatest running style ever! No one, even mens 5000m have no such a great style like Bekele, Kipchirchir Komen and Lagat have of caurse great style/tech. but when Vasala runs...there is no mistakes in that style!

Perfect!!!The most stylishnig winner in OK 1500! And, of course, the best in 800m -72. Wottle was a very lucky runner...!

Vasaka confessed his secret to his gold medal were his uphill intervals. He did not coin the phrase "don't try this at home", but he was pretty close!

the best part of this is the commentary. There are some legendary commentaries throughout the history of mens track, but the Finnish guy screaming "PEKKA VASALA VOITTAA!" is pure gold

Vasala knew that Keino wasn't a good finisher, so he took him in the quick sprint at the finish.

Vasala olis voittanu kasinkin:-)

Very nice tactic by Vassala, last finish, Keino couldn't believe it.

Only half hour has go in the last Finland gold medal(Lasse Viren 10.000m), when Pekka Vasala win 1500m run! Wery unusual moment, i think?