Paavo Yrjölä: The Farmhand

The biggest triumph of Paavo Yrjölä, a four-time Olympian, came at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam. Yrjölä, a native of Finland, had competed in the decathlon in the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium, and 1924 Games in Paris, although he had not earned a medal. As he prepared for another shot at Olympic glory in 1928, he combined a grueling workout schedule with a watchful eye toward the competition. After placing ninth at the...