"The tranquillity of nature creates mental strength," said Viren. "When you run in the woods, you will have to change rhythm to avoid roots just in the same way as you have have to be constantly alert in competitions. The humus layer developed through the years gives elasticity to the natural path...I never had...any foot injuries."

Viren was surrounded by woods throughout his life, being, born in the small village of Myrskyla in 1949 and later becoming a country policeman.

As an athlete, he hit his best form when it counted. In 1972, he became the fourth person to win both the 5,000 and 10,000m titles, while four years later in Montreal he retained both crowns. He remains the only man to have retained the 5,000m title and the only one to have retained the crowns at both distances.

His first victory was perhaps his most dramatic. Viren's father had had a dream that his son would win. Viren's mother recalled that her husband had spoken in his sleep the night before the 10,000m final, saying "where can we find a plate big enough for both medals".

In the race, Viren stumbled and fell just before half way. It looked like the dream was over, for by the time he had lifted himself off the track, his rivals, led by Britain's David Bedford, later to become world record holder, were 35 metres clear.

Viren raced swiftly back into contention, catching Bedford by 6,000m and passing him, his steely glare fixed, his fluid pace sure. He not only recovered well enough to win, however, but also to do so in a world record of 27mins 38.4sec, 1 second inside Australian Ron Clarke's standard.

In between Olympics, Viren suffered illnesses and his form was patchy. The fact that he managed to peak just when it counted prompted accusations that he had used blood doping techniques to boost his performance.

The technique basically involved extracting blood, storing it and then reinjecting it before a race to boost the oxygen-carrying capacity of the athlete. At the time, blood doping of that kind was not banned but Viren always denied being using any such methods.

Lasse also finished fifth in the marathon in 1976, and four years later returned to the Olympic track for a final time, to finish fifth in the 10,000m won by Miruts Yifter, who was known as Yifter the Shifter and also won the 5,000m in Moscow.

In the 10,000m race in Moscow, Kaario Maaninka, Viren's Finnish team-mate, finished second to Yifter, of Ethiopia. Maaninka fuelled the controversy over blood doping by admitting that he had used the technique.

Four years on, the Finnish team had to cope with something beyond suspicion; Martti Vainio tested positive for an anabolic steroid after finishing second in the 10,000m and was stripped of the silver medal.

After retiring, Viren returned to working in the rural area from whence he came, preferring country living to city life. "If I am on my way somewhere and I meet a friend, I want to be able to stop and talk, to have a coffee. You can do that here. In the city it is all schedules."

In 1999, Viren was elected to the Finnish parliament.

CRAIG LORD
The Times