History of the Olympic Games, Helsinki 1952.

Helsinki was chosen as the site for the Olympic Games in 1940, but because of World War II these were canceled. Instead, Helsinki was the site of the Olympic Games in 1952 (between 19 July and 3 August). The Helsinki Olympic Games symbolized for recovery after the Winter War.

The opening ceremony was a tribute to the Finnish Paavo Nurmi. When the best runner in the history of that country coming to the stadium as penultimate carrier of the Olympic torch, all the audience exploded of happiness. Then Nurmi gave the torch to his fellow Hannes Kölehmainen, now 62, who lit the cauldron.



In this Olympics games all the Olympic family were met again, including Japan and Germany. The Soviet union after 40 years of absence, return . It does so under a halo of mystery created by the famous Cold War. The athletes of the URSS, there were stayed in Otaniemi (is a site different of the others athletes that came from to others countries). Their trainings were so insolated, for example they take them to use one lane lap pool just for them.

In Helsinki already was noted the world economic recovery, because they were built sports facilities and infrastructure for the occasion. The Olympic village was built on, Kappy, two kilometers from the Olympic stadium and swimming pool.
To accommodate tourists and volunteers set up camp with a capacity of 6000 people on the island of Lauttarasi.
This was the first final Olympic of basketball between Americans and Russians first victory.