Antonius Johannes Geesink
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Sports & Athletics • Historical Archive • 🇳🇱 Netherlands • 8 views

Antonius Johannes Geesink 🇳🇱

Antonius Johannes Geesink (Known as "Anton Geesink")
["judoka", "Olympic gold medalist", "IOC member"]
Born Apr 06, 1934 🇳🇱 Utrecht, Netherlands
Passed Away Aug 27, 2010 Utrecht, Netherlands
Lifespan 76 years old
8 views
Notice / Correction
"Respect for the opponent and the mat is the true soul of judo."

Archival Overview

Dutch judoka, 10th dan, 1964 Olympic open category champion whose historic victory in Tokyo broke Japan's monopoly and made judo a global sport.

Biographical Record

Antonius Johannes 'Anton' Geesink (1934–2010) was a Dutch judo giant (6 ft 6 in, 270 lbs) who transformed martial arts history. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when judo made its Olympic debut in its ancestral homeland at Nippon Budokan, Geesink stunned the host nation by defeating Japanese champion Akio Kaminaga to win the prestigious Open category gold medal.

When jubilant Dutch supporters stormed the mat, Geesink famously waved them back with his hand in a display of supreme respect for traditional judo etiquette, winning the permanent affection of Japan. In 1997, he was awarded the 10th dan by the International Judo Federation.

Key Life Milestones

December 2, 1961

First Non-Japanese World Judo Champion

Defeated Koji Sone in Paris to become the first non-Japanese judoka to win the World Judo Championship.

October 23, 1964

Historic Olympic Gold at Tokyo Nippon Budokan

Pinned Akio Kaminaga with kesa-gatame to claim the Olympic Open category gold medal in Tokyo, globalizing judo.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial
Daelwijck Begraafplaats
Utrecht, Netherlands
GPS: 52.1158, 5.0975
View on Memory Atlas
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