Harri Larva (born Harry Edvin Lagerström, September 9, 1906 – November 11, 1980) was a Finnish athlete, winner of the 1500 m at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Born in Turku, Harry Larva was forced to change his last name from Lagerström to Larva in 1928 by a young president of Finnish Athletics Union and known nationalist, Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, because his name did not sound sufficiently Finnish.
Larva, a Finnish champion in the 800 m from 1928 to 1930 and in 1934, won only one bronze (1927) in his favourite distance 1500 m at the Finnish Championships. Larva's best year was in 1928, when he ran all his best performances in distances from 400 m to a mile.
At the Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, in the 1500 m. final, Larva fought a great battle against Frenchman Jules Ladoumègue, and surprisingly won in a time of 3:53.2. Larva competed also at the 1932 Summer Olympics and finished 10th in the 1500 m.
| Persondata |
| Name |
Larva, Harri |
| Alternative names |
Lagerström, Harry Edvin |
| Short description |
Finnish middle distance runner |
| Date of birth |
September 9, 1906 |
| Place of birth |
|
| Date of death |
November 11, 1980 |
| Place of death |
|
Finland
