Anton Geesink, 76; captured the first Olympic gold in judo

August 29, 2010|Toby Sterling, Associated Press

AMSTERDAM — Anton Geesink, a member of the International Olympic Committee who won the first Olympic judo gold medal, died after being hospitalized for several weeks. He was 76.

The Netherlands’ Olympic Committee announced Mr. Geesink’s death yesterday. He had been in the hospital with an unspecified illness in his hometown of Utrecht, Netherlands.

The International Olympic Committee praised Mr. Geesink as a “great athlete’’ who “dedicated his entire career to the promotion of sport and its values.’’

Mr. Geesink, who was 6-foot-6, stunned Japan by becoming the first Westerner to win the world judo championship in 1961 in Paris, and won Olympic gold in 1964 in Tokyo. He won another world title in Rio de Janeiro in 1965 along with a record 21 European championships.

“Everybody will remember the gigantic stature of this Dutch figure whose size was equivalent to his kindness,’’ the International Judo Federation said.

The blue uniform now worn by one competitor in international matches so that judges, referees, and spectators can tell the athletes apart more easily arose from a suggestion made by Mr. Geesink in 1986.

“Today, judo is a universal activity, thanks to the ‘way of education’ that Jigoro Kano created at the end of the 19th century,’’ the federation’s statement said. “But for sure, it would not have been possible if, first of all, Anton Geesink had not been the great champion he was and secondly, he had not become such a fantastic ambassador.’’