Career
Born in Helsinki to a wealthy family, Gunnar Höckert had only one great season, in 1936. The 5000 m final at the Berlin Olympics started in a good pace. The tempo was dictated by American Donald Lash, but he was overtaken by three Finns after 2,000 m.
In this same race Gunnar"s teammate Henry Jonsson got third place over Kohei Murakoso, Japanese runner who was leading the race at the beginning.
Later on that season, on 16 September in Stockholm, Höckert ran a new world record in 3,000 m (8:148). A week later, on the same track, Höckert ran a new world record in 2 miles (8:574) and another week later, he equalled the Jules Ladoumegue"s 2,000 m world record of 5:21.8 in Malmö.
He went to the Winter War as a volunteer, progressing to 2nd lieutenant. He was killed on the Karelian Isthmus, just one day before his thirtieth birthday.