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Anton Geesink: Dutch Surprise
Judo made its Olympic debut in the 1964 Games in Tokyo in the country where the sport was developed, and the Japanese hoped to celebrate the occasion by dominating the event. A special arena, Nippon Budokan Hall, was built for the event and could hold 15,000 spectators. While Japanese fighters prevailed in the three weight classes, the open division was where the big prize was claimed, and it appeared to be the property of Anton Geesink of The Netherlands. Geesink was no dark horse. He had twice won the world championship, and this judo instructor from Utrecht, who had unusual ...(100 of 309 words)