Judo was created as a modern martial art in Japan in 1882, and Japan dominated the progression and success of the sport through the initial World Judo Championships in 1956. At the third Worlds, the competition not only was held outside Japan but - on this date in 1961 - the sport had its first non-Japanese world champion in the Netherlands' Anton Geesink.
He not only repeated his win at the 1965 Worlds, but also was the lone non-Japanese judo gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics - which must have been a bitter result for the Tokyo home crowd.
Geesink quit competition in 1967, after a career in which he earned seven European titles (and two third-places), in addition to the two World titles and the Olympic gold. In 1987, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee, and in 1997 earned an honorary doctorate from Kokushikan University, renown for its success and reverence for judo.
To date, Japan's still the top nation in the sport, with 287 total medals at the Worlds (France is far behind in second with 145). But Geesink's legacy reverberates still - the Netherlands has a respectable 7th all-time place in medals at Worlds (with 75), and the same at the Olympics (seven). An imposing man at 6'6", Geesink obviously still looms large in the sport.
He not only repeated his win at the 1965 Worlds, but also was the lone non-Japanese judo gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics - which must have been a bitter result for the Tokyo home crowd.
Geesink quit competition in 1967, after a career in which he earned seven European titles (and two third-places), in addition to the two World titles and the Olympic gold. In 1987, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee, and in 1997 earned an honorary doctorate from Kokushikan University, renown for its success and reverence for judo.
To date, Japan's still the top nation in the sport, with 287 total medals at the Worlds (France is far behind in second with 145). But Geesink's legacy reverberates still - the Netherlands has a respectable 7th all-time place in medals at Worlds (with 75), and the same at the Olympics (seven). An imposing man at 6'6", Geesink obviously still looms large in the sport.
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