Lauri Aleksanteri Lehtinen (10 August 1908[3] – 4 December 1973) was a Finnish long-distance runner and the winner of a controversial 5000 m race at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

In the final, Lehtinen and fellow Finn Lauri Virtanen led the race early, eventually distancing themselves from all competitors except Ralph Hill of the United States.

On the last lap, Hill attempted to overtake Lehtinen, who blocked him by zig-zagging across lanes—a common tactic in Europe but unfamiliar to the American audience, who responded with boos.

[5][6][7] At the 1936 Summer Olympics, Lehtinen attempted to defend his title but finished second to fellow Finn Gunnar Höckert.

[1] In 1940, Lehtinen donated his Los Angeles gold medal to a soldier who had served with distinction on the Karelian Isthmus.