Urho Karhumäki

Born in Multia, Finland, in 1891, he built a wide-ranging literary career that included novels, short fiction, plays, poetry, and books for younger readers. Several reliable sources describe him as especially productive and widely read in the 1930s, when his work found a strong audience in Finland.

He is best remembered internationally for Avoveteen (Into Free Water), the work that earned him a gold medal in the literature category at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, back when the Games still included art competitions. That unusual achievement gave him a place not only in Finnish literary history, but also in Olympic history.

Karhumäki died in Vihti in 1947. Although he is less well known outside Finland today, his career stands out for its breadth, popularity in its time, and the rare distinction of literary Olympic gold.