Tentoonstelling anton geesink biography
Anton geesink 75!
Anton Geesink: The Dutch judo master who reshaped the sport
In October 1964, Tokyo hosted their first Olympic Games. To celebrate, Tokyo 2020 will bring you some of the most incredible and historic moments that took place 56 years ago.
Tentoonstelling anton geesink biography
In the latest part of the series, we take a look at Anton Geesink's unforgettable victory that paved the way for judo's world domination.
Anton Geesink will always be a shining figure for all judokas worldwide. Thanks to his achievements, the sport is now practised by more than 20 million around the globe.
However, when Geesink took an interest in the sport as a 14-year-old, judo was still largely dominated by the Japanese.
No foreigner had yet been able to topple the Japanese titans.
But history would forever be changed by Geesink.
Just three years after taking up the sport, a 17-year-old Geesink competed in his first European Championships, taking home a silver medal.
Then came the 1961 World Championships in Paris where he beat the reigning c