Paavo Nurmi, Statue in Lausanne, Switzerland

Paavo Nurmi is a bronze statue of a nude male runner in mid-stride, located in Lausanne, Switzerland. The figure stands on a low rectangular base with faint incised letters on the front, and its dark, smooth surface captures the motion of running.

The original sculpture was created by Wäinö Aaltonen in 1925, and this copy was cast in 1994. It was presented to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne in a ceremony attended by IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The statue depicts Paavo Nurmi, the Finnish runner known as the Flying Finn, and it was given by Finland's Olympic committee to the International Olympic Committee. Visitors often see it as a tribute to athletic achievement and to Nurmi's legacy in the sport.

The statue is on the grounds of the Olympic Museum, where you can walk up to it and look closely. The area is accessible on foot, and you can combine your visit with a stroll through the surrounding gardens.

This is the fourth cast of the statue, and other copies stand in Helsinki, including one near the Olympic Stadium. The faint letters on the base are easy to miss but add a subtle detail to the work.