The first Olympic judo champion in the open category - Antonius Geesink - Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games

Geesink was an imposing figure who stood at . He won his first World Championship title in 1961. This was the 1st time the title had been won by a participant from outside Japan. [More...] At the 1964 Tokyo Games, the host nation was expected to sweep all four weight classes. The Japanese promptly won the first three. But the giant Dutchman defeated Japanese national champion Kaminaga Akio in convincing fashion to claim the gold medal in the open class. To celebrate his victory, Geesink