Viljam Johansson

Viljam Johansson was a Finnish distance runner who represented Turun Urheiluliitto. In 1908 Johansson set a Finnish record in the 10,000 metres with a time of 33:53.6. The following year he became the Finnish record holder in the 5,000 metres and the national champion in the 1,500 metres.

At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics Johansson finished in 11th place in the cross-country event. The Finnish team won silver with the best three results counting towards the final placing but Johansson was the fifth-best Finn and therefore did not win a medal. In the 5,000 metres Johansson finished in third place in his heat to advance to the final but he did not start in the latter. He also ran in the 3,000 metres team event where the United States beat the Finnish team in the first heat in what was described as a major upset. Despite Finland’s Hannes Kolehmainen setting an individual world record the team’s combined top-three scores were slightly slower than the Americans.

Johansson later moved to the United States where he worked for General Electrics for some time. He died in Schenectady, New York, at the age of 44 from an acute appendicitis.

Personal Bests: 3000 – 8:57.2 (1912); 5000 – 15:31.4 (1912).