Bryan Pinkall's World of Opera, Olympics, and More: Helsinki

Thursday, July 12, 2012

1952 Helsinki Summer Olympic Opening Ceremony

www.olympicceremony.org
1948 London - Stockholm 1956

The Games of the XV Olympiad

Helsinki, Finland
1952

Opening Ceremony of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics - VERY RARE PHOTO! - both Olympic Flames visible (first in the center of the bend in the track, second at the top of the stadium tower)

Olympic Ceremony Records
italics indicate records at the time

First Lighting of Two Olympic Cauldrons
First Use of an Electric Scoreboard
Most Nations Participating (69) - previous London 1948 (59)
Most Athletes Participating (4,436) - previous London 1948 (4,104)

Olympic Torch Relay Records
italics indicate records at the time

First torch flown on an airplane
First torch carried on horseback
First double-relay (the Olympic Flame was lit by the rays of the sun in Olympia, Greece, while the organizers planned another relay beginning in the Arctic Circle with a flame lit by the rays of the Midnight Sun)
Longest Olympic Torch Relay - 4,735km (previous London 1948 - 3,160km)
Most Torchbearers - 3,374 (previous Berlin 1936 - 3,308)

Opening Ceremony

Helsinki Olympic Stadium (70,000)
July 19th, 1952

Video

Opening Ceremony Highlights

Helsinki was granted the games of 1952 in part because of their great organization attempting to hold 1940 games after the cancelled 1940 Tokyo Olympics. The Olympics were as healthy as ever in 1952, but the ceremony took no major artistic steps. After the Second World War, London and Helsinki both held ultra simple ceremonies, contrasting heavily with the games of Berlin in 1936. One special moment however from this rather simple ceremony would be the beginning of a new era in the cauldron lighting. Paavo Nurmi, the most famous athlete in Finland, surprised the crowd and all of Finland by becoming the last torchbearer to enter the stadium. The excitement of his super-stardom gave great significance to the event, and is largely credited to the development and importance of the cauldron lighting. Helsinki also showed creativity by having two cauldrons, one on the stadium floor, and one overlooking the stadium. They also held a torch relay beginning near the north pole, lit from the rays of the arctic midnight sun, only to combine with the flame from Olympia shortly before the games began.

Words of Coubertain used in every ceremony since 1932 were written on a large electronic board
President of Finland and dignitaries arrive
Parade of Nations
President declares the games open
Simultaneously: the Olympic Flag is raised, fanfare played, 21 gun salute, and 2,500 pigeons released
First Olympic Cauldron within the stadium is lit by Paavo Nurmi (the most famous Finnish athlete of all time: 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 12-time Olympic medalist)
Torch is taken up the stadium tower; choir and band perform the Olympic Hymn
Second Olympic Cauldron is lit at the top of the stadium tower by Hannes Kolemainen (4-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 5-time Olympic medalist
unplanned - German woman jumps onto the field and takes the stand, but is apprehended by the police (seen in video)
Olympic Oath
Finnish National Anthem performed

Photos

Gold Medal from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics

1952 Helsinki Olympic Torch

Official Poster of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics

Lighting of the first Olympic Cauldron on the stadium floor

The Second Cauldron was a beacon at the top of the stadium tower

OLYMPIC CEREMONY DATABASE

SUMMER

1896 1900 1904 Intercalated 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952
1956 Equestrian 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

WINTER

1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 20141980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006
2010 2014 2018

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

1940 Tokyo/Helsinki Summer Olympic Opening Ceremony

www.olympicceremony.org
1936 Berlin - London 1944

The Games of the XII Olympiad

Tokyo, Japan
1940

Helsinki, Finland
1940

Olympic Ceremony Records
italics indicate records at the time

Second Olympics to be Canceled (Tokyo: Sino-Japanese War, Helsinki: Russian Invasion of WWII)
First Planned Unrefueled Flight of the Olympic Torch (Berlin to Tokyo)
First Asia City to Win Election to Host the Olympic Games

Opening Ceremony

Tokyo Olympic Stadium (100,000)
Helsinki Olympic Stadium (70,000)

Video
No Opening Ceremony

Official Report - Tokyo

Report - Helsinki

Opening Ceremony Highlights

The Olympic Games of 1940 were awarded originally to Tokyo. Their report is present above. They planned on a monumental stadium of 100,000 and the games were to mark the 2,600 anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire. Interesting elements were discussed such as taking the Olympic Flame along the silk road with horses to distant Japan from Greece, but they did not want to traverse China because of the Sino-Japanese War. Then it was discussed moving the flame by boat, but the Germans suggested to fly the flame non-stop to Japan - further symbolizing the mythical creation of the Japanese people descending from the heavens. Another interesting problem was that the Emperor's voice could not be transmitted or amplified because of its sacredness - so he could not declare the games open during the ceremony. These problems were never met, because Tokyo quickly lost its right to host the games.

At the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, the games were taken away from Tokyo due to the many nations wishing to boycott. The games were then awarded to Helsinki, Finland. The Helsinki Games were to stage a 5,000km torch relay and the games were set to begin on July 20, 1940, but with the Russian Invasion of Finland and the Axis controlled areas during 1939 in WWII, the games were officially cancelled. Much of the organization and stadia built by the Finnish government would help them win the host city election of 1952.

Photos