Juho Halme

Johan Valdemar "Juho" Halme (born Johan Valdemar Eliasson; 24 May 1888 – 1 February 1918) was a Finnish track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics and won six Finnish championships in various events in 1907–1916. He died during the Finnish Civil War.^[2] He was born and died in Helsinki.

Juho Halme

Juho Halme in the uniform of Helsingin Kisa-Veikot
Personal information
Birth name	Johan Valdemar Eliasson
Full name	Johan Valdemar Halme
Nickname(s)	Hindenburg, Juho, Jussi, Puuro, Sonni
National team	Finland
Born	(1888-05-24)May 24, 1888 Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
Died	February 1, 1918(1918-02-01) (aged 29) Helsinki, Finland
Resting place	Hietaniemi Cemetery, Helsinki[1]
Occupation(s)	Journalist, copy editor, chief executive officer, clerk, procurator
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event	Javelin throw
Club	Iisalmen Visa Helsingin Reipas Helsingin Kisa-Veikot
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	Javelin: 60.88 (1914) Triple jump: 14.51 (1914) Long jump: 662 (1915)

Athletics

Olympics

Halme represented Finland in two Olympic Games.

Juho Halme at the Olympic Games

Games	Event	Rank	Result	Notes on source
1908 Summer Olympics	Javelin throw	6th	44.96	From New York Herald. His mark was not officially recorded.[3]
	Freestyle javelin throw	9th	39.88	Source:[4]
	Shot put	9th–25th	unknown	Source:[5]
	Triple jump	18th–20th	unknown	From The Sportsman and The People. Many sources do not list him competing in this event.[6]
	Discus throw	Did not start		Source:[7]
1912 Summer Olympics	Javelin throw	4th	54.65
	Two handed javelin throw	9th	88.54
	Triple jump	11th	13.79

National

Halme broke two Finnish records in athletics:

• 16 May 1912, javelin throw, 56.54^[8]
• 16 June 1912, triple jump, 13.95^[9]

He also became the second Finn to throw javelin over 60 meters.^[10]

He won six golds in the Finnish Championships in Athletics:

• triple jump in 1907,^[11][12] 1910^[11][13] and 1911^[11][14]
• long jump in 1912^[15][16]
• javelin throw in 1914^[17][18]
• pentathlon in 1916^[19][20]

Halme competed in the British AAA Championships and finished second behind Ivar Sahlin in the triple jump event and second behind Mór Kóczán in the javelin at the 1914 AAA Championships.^[21][22][23]

He was the secretary of Helsingin Reipas in 1906–1907 and the chairman of Helsingin Kisa-Veikot in 1909–1918.^[10]

Other

His parents were mason Johan David Eliasson and Amanda Sofia Jusenius. He finnicized his name from Eliasson to Halme in 1905.^[24]

Halme was the copy editor of Suomen Urheilulehti in 1912–1917 and the chief executive officer of its publisher Urheilijain Kustannus in 1911–1917.^[10]

He wrote the first Finnish language history of a sports club in 1907, on Helsingin Reipas.^[10]

Sportswriter Yrjö Halme was his brother. Together they founded the sports almanac Urheilukalenteri.^[24]

Death

Halme had been the manager of sports equipment shop Suomen Urheiluaitta since 1917. In the opening days of the Finnish Civil War, clothing and shoes from their stock were distributed to members of the White Guard fleeing Helsinki. In retaliation, Halme was shot on the stairs of the Helsinki Cathedral by Red Guardsmen and died of his wounds in hospital the following day.^[10]

See also

• List of Olympians killed in World War I
• Juho Valdemar Halme in War Victims of Finland 1914–1922
• Juho Halme at Olympedia