Arvo Aaltonen


Arvo Ossian Aaltonen was a Finnish breaststroke swimmer who competed at the 1912, 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics. He won bronze medals in the 200 m and 400 m events in 1920, and failed to reach the finals in 1912 and 1924.
Aaltonen was the first, and until 1992 the only Finnish Olympic medalist in swimming. He won the 200 m event at the 1923 Nordic Championships, and he held 22 Finnish titles: in the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m. In 1924–30 and 1946–47 he was a board member of the Finnish Swimming Federation. He immigrated to Canada in 1929, but returned to Finland in 1937.