For the 1952 Summer Olympics

1952 Summer Olympics

The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...

, a total of twenty-four sports venues were used. Three of the venues were constructed for the 1940 Summer Olympics, but were postponed in the wake of World War II. Those venues were completed in time for the 1952 Games. The main stadium served as host to the World Athletics Championships in 1983 and in 2005. Two venues were purchased by the city of Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

 after the Olympics, one changed from an exhibition center to a sports arena, and another changed from a sports arena to an art museum.

Venues

Venue	Sports	Capacity	Ref.
Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...	Modern pentathlon Modern pentathlon at the 1952 Summer Olympics At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, two events in modern pentathlon were contested. For the first time, a team event was part of the Olympic program.-Medal summary:-Medal table:...	Not listed.
Harmaja Harmaja Harmaja is an island and a lighthouse outside Helsinki, south of the Suomenlinna sea fortress. The island has been functioning as a landmark since the 16th century. A landmark structure was built on the island in the 18th century and a light house in 1883. The first lighthouse was only 7.3 m high...	Sailing Sailing at the 1952 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program....	Not listed.
Helsinki Football Grounds	Football Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to...	10,770.
Huopalahti Huopalahti Huopalahti was a municipality during the years 1920–1945 in Uusimaa, Finland. The municipality was bilingual.Current areas of Munkkiniemi, Lauttasaari and parts of northern Pasila were parts of Huopalahti....	Shooting Shooting at the 1952 Summer Olympics With the competitions in shooting at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the Olympic shooting program began its expansion. Three new events were added: 100 metre running deer, 50 metre rifle three positions and trap. In total there were seven events....  (shotgun)	Not listed.
Käpylä Käpylä Käpylä is a neighbourhood of Helsinki with 7,600 inhabitants. Administratively speaking, Käpylä is a part of the Vanhakaupunki district.It is located between Kumpula, Oulunkylä and Koskela...	Cycling Cycling at the 1952 Summer Olympics The cycling competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics consisted of two road cycling events and four track cycling events, all for men only.-Medal summary:-Medal table:...  (road)	25,700
Kotka Arto Tolsa Areena Arto Tolsa Areena is a football stadium in Kotka, Finland. It is the home stadium of KTP and FC KooTeePee. The stadium holds 4,780 and was inaugurated in 1952 for the Helsinki Olympics. The stadium's record attendance was made during the Olympic Games in the football match between the Soviet...	Football	3,500
Laakso Laakso Laakso is a neighbourhood in Helsinki, Finland. Its borders are defined by the streets of Mannerheimintie and Nordenskiöldinkatu and the Helsinki Central Park...	Equestrian Equestrian at the 1952 Summer Olympics The Equestrian Events at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics included Dressage, Eventing, and Show Jumping. All three disciplines had both individual and team competitions. The competitions were held from July 28, 1952 to August 3, 1952.-Medal summary:...  (eventing - riding)	12,500
Lahti Lahti Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...	Football	82,000
Liuskasaari Liuskasaari Liuskasaari is an island located south of Helsinki, Finland. This island is home of the Helsingfors Segelsällskap, one of the oldest sailing clubs in Finland.The island hosted some of the sailing events for the 1952 Summer Olympics.-References:* p. 58.*...	Sailing	19,000
Malmi Rifle Range Malmi, Helsinki Malmi is a regional center and a major district on the north-eastern part of Helsinki, Finland.It has a population of 24,312 . Malmi is divided into six subareas, which are Ylä-Malmi, Ala-Malmi, Pihlajamäki, Tattariharju, Malmin lentokenttä and Pihlajisto.Malmin peruspiiri is a related but...	Shooting (pistol/ rifle)	Not listed.
Maunula Maunula Maunula , Månsas is a northwestern neighborhood of Helsinki, Finland.For the 1952 Summer Olympics, it hosted part of the road cycling events.-Reference:* p. 554....	Cycling (road)	21,708
Meilahti Meilahti Meilahti is a neighbourhood of Helsinki between Mannerheimintie and a bay named Seurasaarenselkä. Most of the houses in Meilahti were built in the 1930s and 1940s. Meilahti is home to over 6700 people including the President of Finland Tarja Halonen who lives on the shore in the President's...	Rowing Rowing at the 1952 Summer Olympics Rowing at the 1952 Summer Olympics featured 7 events, for men only. The competitions were held from July 20, 1952 to July 23, 1952.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*...	12,763
Messuhalli Töölö Sports Hall Töölö Sports Hall is a sports venue located in the Töölö district of Helsinki, Finland. It was built in 1935 as Messuhalli...	Basketball Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics was the third appearance of the sport. 23 nations entered the competition.The top six teams at the 1948 Summer Olympics qualified automatically, as did the 1950 World Champion , the top two at the 1951 European championships , and the host country...  (final), Boxing Boxing at the 1952 Summer Olympics Final results for the Boxing competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics. The events were held at Messuhalli.-Medal table:- Flyweight :- Bantamweight :- Featherweight :- Lightweight :... , Gymnastics Gymnastics at the 1952 Summer Olympics Gymnastics at the 1952 Summer Olympics was represented by 15 events: 7 for women and 8 for men. All events were held between July 19 and July 24 in the Messuhalli building in Helsinki... , Weightlifting Weightlifting at the 1952 Summer Olympics The weightlifting competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki consisted of seven weight classes, all for men only. The middle-heavyweight division was a newly created weight class, moving the heavyweight class up from 82.5 kg to 90 kg. The events were held at Messuhalli.-Medal... , Wrestling Wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics At the 1952 Summer Olympics, 16 wrestling events were contested, for all men. There were eight weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling and eight classes in freestyle wrestling...	5,500
Olympic Stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952...	Athletics Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 963 participating athletes from 57 countries.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:... , Equestrian (jumping), Football (final)	70,000
Pakila Pakila Pakila is a neighbourhood in Northern Helsinki. It comprises Länsi-Pakila and Itä-Pakila. Pakila has approximately 9,829 inhabitants which of 6464 lives in Länsi-Pakila and 3365 in Itä-Pakila...	Cycling (road)	Not listed.
Ruskeasuo Equestrian Hall Ruskeasuo Ruskeasuo is a neighbourhood of Helsinki , about 3 kilometres north of the city centre....	Equestrian (dressage, eventing)	Not listed.
Swimming Stadium Helsinki Swimming Stadium Helsinki Swimming Stadium is an outdoors swimming venue in Helsinki, Finland, located in the Eläintarha area to the northeast of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.-History:...	Diving Diving at the 1952 Summer Olympics At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, four diving events were contested.-Medal summary:The events are labelled as 3 metre springboard and 10 metre platform by the International Olympic Committee, and appeared on the 1952 Official Report as springboard diving and high diving,... , Swimming Swimming at the 1952 Summer Olympics At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, a total number of eleven swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women. The events were held at the Swimming Stadium. There was a total of 319 participants from 48 countries competing.-Medal table:... , Water polo Water polo at the 1952 Summer Olympics -Medal summary:-Results:For the team rosters see: Water polo at the 1952 Summer Olympics - Men's team squads.-Final standings:-References:*...	12,500
Taivallahti Töölö Rowing Stadium The Töölö Rowing Stadium is a rowing and canoeing venue located a kilometer from Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland.Originally constructed for the 1940 Summer Olympics that were cancelled in the wake of what became known as World War II, the venue was not approved by the International...	Canoeing Canoeing at the 1952 Summer Olympics At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, nine events in sprint canoe racing were contested. The program was unchanged from the previous Games in 1948.-Men's events:-Women's event:-Medal table:-References:* pp. 624–37....	Not listed.
Tali Race Track Tali, Helsinki Tali is a neighbourhood located in Pitäjänmäki district of Western Helsinki, Finland., Tali has 1,078 inhabitants living in an area of 1.01 km2.The race track hosted the steeplechase eventing equestrian competition for the 1952 Summer Olympics....	Equestrian (eventing - steeplechase)	Not listed.
Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...	Football	17,000
Tennis Palace Tennispalatsi Tennispalatsi , is a cultural and recreational center in Kamppi, Helsinki, Finland. It houses a Finnkino movie theatre, the Art Museum Tennis Palace, the Museum of Cultures, and small shops....	Basketball	1,250
Turku Veritas Stadion Veritas Stadion is a football stadium in Turku, Finland. It is situated in the district of Kupittaa, in an area dedicated to sporting venues...	Football	9,372
Velodrome Helsinki Velodrome The Helsinki Velodrome is an outdoor velodrome and football stadium in Helsinki, Finland. It was built in 1938–1940 for the 1940 Summer Olympics which were cancelled due to World War II. After the war, it was a venue of the 1952 Summer Olympics for the track cycling and field hockey events.The...	Cycling (track), Field hockey Field hockey at the 1952 Summer Olympics Final results for the Hockey competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics:Only a men's competition occurred that year.-Medal summary:-Bracket:-Participating nations:...	6,000
Westend Tennis Hall Espoo Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....	Fencing Fencing at the 1952 Summer Olympics At the 1952 Summer Olympics, seven fencing events were contested, six for men and one for women.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-Participating nations:A total of 286 fencers from 32 nations competed at the Helsikni Games:...	Not listed.

Before the Olympics

The idea for the construction of the Olympic Stadium began in 1927 though construction itself would take place between 1934 and 1938. This was done in preparation for the 1940 Summer Olympics

1940 Summer Olympics

The anticipated 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad and originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan, were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II...

 that were moved from Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 after the breakout of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Construction for the Swimming Stadium began in 1939, but was interrupted due to World War II. The building was resumed in 1947 and completed the following year. A concrete velodrome was built in 1940 though it was not completed until 1946 due to the war. Messuhalli was completed in 1935.

The Tennis Palace was constructed in time for the 1940 Games as well.

During the Olympics

The modern pentathlon events were held in one venue for the first time at the Summer Olympics since 1920

Modern pentathlon at the 1920 Summer Olympics

At the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, a single modern pentathlon event was contested. As in 1912, Swedish athletes won all three medals.-Results:-Reference:*...

.

After the Olympics

In 1983

1983 World Championships in Athletics

The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....

, the Olympic Stadium hosted the first IAAF World Championships in Athletics

IAAF World Championships in Athletics

The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...

. Between 1990 and 1994, the stadium underwent a renovation. The stadium became the first venue to host the IAAF World Championships in Athletics twice when it hosted again in 2005

2005 World Championships in Athletics

The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...

.

The aquatics venue is open to the public annually between May and September. Töölö Sports Hall was purchased by the city of Helsinki in 1975 and converted from exhibition center into a sports arena. The Tennis Palace was renovated, purchased by the city of Helsinki in 1957, and converted into an art museum in 1993.

Finnair Stadium

Finnair Stadium

Sonera Stadium is a football stadium in Helsinki, Finland.The stadium was inaugurated in 2000. It has a capacity of 10,770 spectators...

, which was named named Sonera Stadium since August 2010, was constructed on the Helsinki Football Grounds for HJK

HJK

HJK may stand for:* HJK Helsinki , association football club from Helsinki, Finland* Hærens Jegerkommando, the armed forces competence center for commando, airborne, and counterterrorist duty in the Norwegian Army...

in 2000.