One year after his Olympic title in Tokyo, Anton Geesink picked up a final world title at Rio de Janeiro in the new heavyweight category, which was being inaugurated. After this he bowed out with the status of a living legend. Cashing in on his notoriety, he segued from the judo halls to the silver screen, making some rather forgettable films and mediocre Dutch television shows.
Then, in the 70s, Geesink wrestled professionally in Japan, before devoting most of his efforts to teaching and popularising judo – activities which would have no doubt pleased his master Michigami, whom he drifted apart from for years before reconnecting late in his life.
More than half a century after his Olympic masterpiece, and almost 10 years after his death, Geesink remains one of the most significant figures in the history of his sport. Judo arguably owes to him a large part of its current scope and universality. Taking to the tatami in Tokyo was only meant to be a one-off. The discipline had not even been considered as part of the Olympic program for Mexico City in 1968. But given the magnitude of the event of Geesink’s victory, the IOC decided to reintegrate judo as an official sport for Munich in 1972.
On becoming the first non-Japanese 10th dan judoka in 1997, Geesink stressed his conviction that his victory in the Olympics did not just belong to him. “I believe,” he said, “that the Japanese only really accepted my victory when they admitted that if all four Olympic titles at Tokyo had been won by their representatives, judo would not have remained an Olympic sport.” And that, the global preservation of an entire sport, was probably Geesink’s greatest triumph.