Arvid LINDEN

Arvo Lindén was a skilled swimmer, diver, gymnast and cyclist, but his most important accomplishments came in wrestling. After winning his only Finnish wrestling title in 1908 in Greco-Roman lightweight, Lindén was selected to the 1908 Finnish Olympic team and at the Olympics, after defeating his first three opponents by fall, he lost to Russian Nikolay Orlov by decision in a semifinal and had to settle for a bronze medal. In 1908, Lindén also won silver at the Nordic Championships and, as Finland was then an autonomous part of the Russian Empire, Lindén also won the 1909-10 Russian lightweight titles. Lindén retired in 1910 and opened his own shoe repair shop, but he emigrated to Canada at the start of World War I. Lindén returned to Finland in the 1920s and settled in Helsinki, working as a night guard. He also took up diving again and became the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation champion, at over 40-years-old.