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Anton Geesink
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Born:
April 6, 1934, Utrecht, Neth.
Died:
Aug. 27, 2010, Utrecht (aged 76)
Awards And Honors:
Olympic Games
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Anton Geesink

Dutch athlete
Also known as: Antonius Johannes Geesink
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Anton Geesink (born April 6, 1934, Utrecht, Neth.—died Aug. 27, 2010, Utrecht) was a Dutch athlete who was the first non-Japanese competitor to win a world championship in judo.

Standing 6 feet 6 inches and weighing 267 pounds, Geesink made his mark in the Japanese-dominated sport of judo when he won the 1961 world championship. He was a two-time world champion by the start of the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

At the 1964 Games, Geesink competed in the open division, which was eliminated from Olympic competition following the 1984 Olympics. In his Olympic semifinal match against Theodore Boronovskis of Australia, Geesink won in just 12 seconds. In the finals, Geesink faced Akio Kaminaga of Japan, a favourite of the Tokyo crowd. Geesink put his opponent in a sash hold (kesa-gatame) to win the gold. Even more than the two world championships, Geesink’s Olympic title had a major impact on international judo.

Silhouette of hand holding sport torch behind the rings of an Olympic flag, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; February 3, 2015.
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Geesink won his third world title in 1965 before retiring. In all, he won 13 European titles. He authored several books on judo and served on the International Olympic Committee.

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