The Soviet Union made its Olympic debut, erecting a village surrounded by armed guards and protected with barbed wire.

Sport had become a propaganda weapon in the Cold War but, as always, individuals rather than power blocs left the enduring memories.

Emil Zatopek trained relentlessly and raced remorselessly, his face contorted in apparent agony. It was his opponents, though, who suffered most as the Czech ground out victories in the 5,000, 10,000 and marathon.

Australia embarked on a decade of unsurpassed sporting success refreshingly distinct from the win-at-all-costs mentality of the eastern European bloc. It paraded double sprint champion Marjorie Jackson plus Shirley Strickland who set a world record in the 80 metres hurdles.

Reuters

Facts:

** Helsinki, Finland in 1952 became the smallest ever city to host the Olympic Games. It had then a population of only 367, 000.

** In 1952, after a gap of 40 years, Russia, now under the guise of the Soviet Union, made a comeback to the Olympic Games.

** Although all the teams marched together in the 1952 Games, the 'Village' was divided for the teams from the Soviet bloc and for the rest of the others.

** Czech long distance runner Emil Zatopek established a unique triple when he won the 5000m, 10,000m and the marathon in the 1952 Games. His wife Dana also won the javelin gold within an hour of his 5000m victory.

** Hungarian swimmer Eva Szekely who won the 200m breaststroke in the 1952 Games was joined by her husband, Dezso Gyarmati, four days later when he won a gold as a part of the water polo team.

** Australia's Marjorie Jackson, who set world records in winning the 100m and 200m sprint in the 1952 Games lost her third gold medal in the 4x100 relay when she dropped the baton. Incidentally she retrieved the baton and finished in the fifth place.

** American Barbara Pearl Jones, at 15 years 123 days became the youngest ever (male or female) to win a track and field gold medal when her team won the 4x100 relay in the 1952 Games.

** When Luxembourg's Josy Barthel scored an upset win in the 1500m in the 1952 Games, it caused the band some problems as they tried to find the anthem for the country.

** FBI agent Horace Ashenfelter in the 1952 Games gained America's first distance gold since 1908 when he set an inaugural official world record in the 3000m steeplechase. In the second place was a Russian Vladimir Kazantzev. The Press had a field time when they reported that the American was "followed home" by a Russian.

** In the 1952 highboard diving event, an American of Korean origin Dr Sammy Lee became the first man to successfully defend a diving title. Interestingly he went on to coach the next man to achieve this feat - Bob Webster in 1960 and 1964.

** When Frenchman Jean Boiteux won the 400m freestyle event in the 1952 Games his father jumped into the pool fully clothed, to congratulate him.

** One of the first women allowed to compete against the men in the equestrian dressage was Lis Hartel of Denmark in the 1952 Games. He won a silver medal despite being paralysed below the knees after an attack of polio, and she, had to be helped on and off her horse.

** In the women's discus in the 1952 Games at Helsinki, Nina Romashkova won Soviet Union its first ever gold medal in the Olympics.

** Sweden's Lars Hall, a carpenter, became the first nonmilitary winner of the modern pentatlon in the 1952 Games.

** It was a unique gold medal for the American Frank Havens in the 10,000m Canadian singles in the canoeing event of the 1952 Games. Back in 1924, his father Bill Havens was chosen to represent the United States in the coxed eights rowing, but declined in the order to stay home with his wife, who was then expecting their first child - Frank!

** American Walt Davis at 2.04m (6ft 7 in) was perhaps the tallest to win a gold in the track and field event in the Olympic Games when he won the high jump event in 1952.

** The Soviet Union on their first appearance in the Olympics Games won 71 medals, which included 22 golds.

** The 1952 Helsinki Games were so well organized that some observers suggested that the Olympics be held permanently in Scandinavia.