ThereWillBeDeaths7 720 Posted May 23 6 hours ago, Sly Ronnie said: Who are the best-known Dutch Olympians? The only one I know of is Fanny Blankers-Koen who won 4 gold medals in 1948. Mind you, Femke Bol may end up being well-known by the end of the summer! Fanny Blankers-Koen was indeed a very notable Dutch olympian. The recently deceased Sjoukje Dijkstra (gold and silver medals in 1960 and 1964 figure skating) was also quite notable. Due to recency bias, I know loads of olympians from the last couple of decades, not that much from before. I've made a short list below of notable Dutch olympians for the summer and winter olympics before 2000, sorted by their year of debut and which games they took part in. Most of them won at least one gold medal in their respective sports, and took part in individual sports. Summer Olympics - Fanny Blankers-Koen (1918-2004) 1936, 1948, 1952 Track and field athlete who won four gold medals in the 1948 games; her being a mother and 30 years old earned her the nickname "The Flying Housewife". - Erica Terpstra (1943) 1960, 1964 Swimmer who won a silver and a bronze medal at the 1964 games in Japan. Later became a politician: a member of the house of representatives from 1977 onwards, and state secretary between 1994-1998. She later presented a travel programme, Erica op Reis. - Anton Geesink (1934-2010) 1964 Judoka who won the final in the open weight competition in 1964, the first year in which judo was an Olympic sport. - Ada Kok (1947) 1964, 1968 Swimmer who won two silver medals in 1964, and a gold medal in 1968. She was internationally known as one of the best in the butterfly stroke. - Joop Zoetemelk (1946) 1968 Racing cyclist who won gold in 1968, later in his career would win the 1980 Tour de France. - Anky van Grunsven (1968) 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 Equestrian who competed in the dressage in all six games between 1992 and 2012, winning three gold medals, five silver ones and one bronze medal. Anky is the most famous equestrian in our country, and her two winning horses (Bonfire and Salinero) even got statues in her village after they passed away. Winter Olympics - Sjoukje Dijkstra (1942-2024) 1960, 1964 Figure skater who won a silver medal in 1960 and a gold medal in 1964. She was the first Dutch athlete to win a Winter Olympics gold medal. - Yvonne van Gennip (1964) 1984, 1988, 1992 Speed skater who won three gold medals in 1988, after injuring her foot and needing surgery less than two months before the games. - Marianne Timmer (1974) 1998, 2002, 2006 Speed skater who won three gold medals, the first two in 1998 and the last one in 2006. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ulitzer95 12,582 Posted May 23 21 minutes ago, ThereWillBeDeaths7 said: *snip* Summer Olympics - Fanny Blankers-Koen (1918-2004) 1936, 1948, 1952 Track and field athlete who won four gold medals in the 1948 games; her being a mother and 30 years old earned her the nickname "The Flying Housewife". *snip* Not my favourite Olympic Fanny. That distinction goes to German alpine skier Fanny Chmelar. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alt obits guy 3,371 Posted May 24 New interview (with embedded short video clip) of Mary Lou Retton and her battle with a rare form of pneumonia. It speaks about her use of crowdfunding, which has received mixed reactions. She still requires an oxygen apparatus to help her breathe. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mary-lou-retton-interview-crowdfund-medical-bills-b2550451.html 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted May 28 Ștefan Birtalan was born in Zalău and died in Bucharest aged 75, the Romanian handball player was voted World Player of the Year in 1974, 1976 and 1977. He spent most of his career with Steaua București, winning with them 12 Romanian championships and the European champions. World Cup in 1977. He also won the world title in 1970 and 1974, becoming the top scorer in the 1974 tournament with 43 goals. He participated in the 1972 (bronze), 1976 (silver) and 1980 (bronze) Olympics https://www.digisport.ro/handbal/legendarul-stefan-birtalan-a-murit-la-75-de-ani-2984263 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alt obits guy 3,371 Posted May 29 Butch Johnson, a five-time Olympian in archery and a 1996 gold medal winner for the U.S., has died. He was 68. Johnson competed in the Olympics from 1992 through 2008. https://www.worldarchery.sport/news/201655/five-time-olympian-butch-johnson-dies-aged-68 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted May 29 9 hours ago, alt obits guy said: Butch Johnson, a five-time Olympian in archery and a 1996 gold medal winner for the U.S., has died. He was 68. Johnson competed in the Olympics from 1992 through 2008. https://www.worldarchery.sport/news/201655/five-time-olympian-butch-johnson-dies-aged-68 He was twice Pan American champion (99 and 2007, by team), bronze in the world team, bronze in the 2000 Olympics by team and bronze in Pan 95 in the individual and silver in the 70m individual, and is the first Olympic archery champion by team to die, the competition has been held since 1988, and also the first Pan American champion by team (disputed since 1979) to also die that I was able to find out, there are 3 names that I was unable to find information about: Rodney Baston champion in 1979, Eric Brumlow (1991) and Jason McKittrick (1999) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted May 31 Arjen Teeuwissen was born in Mook en Middelaar and died in Zoersel, Belgium at the age of 53, the Dutch equestrian athlete was a silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics in the Team Dressage event, Teeuwissen was one of eight LGBT Olympic athletes, who were also horse riders at the 2000 Olympic Games. At the team dressage medal ceremony, three men out of the twelve who received medals were gay https://www.ingedachten.be/overlijdensberichten/overlijden-detail/29-05-2024/arjen-teeuwissen 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sinbabad 1,115 Posted June 3 American basketball player Carl Cain, Olympic Champion at the 1956 Games, has died aged 89. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sinbabad 1,115 Posted June 4 On 21/02/2024 at 16:04, Ulitzer95 said: Růžena Košťálová is still alive and turned 100 today. Confirmation here. For years her Wiki profile had a source that maintained she died in Switzerland in 2013. Ruzena Kostalova has died at 100 on 12 April. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 4 14 hours ago, Sinbabad said: Ruzena Kostalova has died at 100 on 12 April. She was the oldest living Olympic athlete to represent Czechoslovakia and the oldest living Olympic kayaker. The first distinction now goes to gymnast Jindřich Mikulec, born on May 11, 1928, Léon Roth of Luxembourg, born on September 10, 1926, is now the oldest living Olympic canoeist https://olympstats.com/2024/06/04/ruzena-kostalova-3/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcc 228 Posted June 4 https://x.com/LsabreAvenger/status/1797352187749634146 Ron Morris, pole vault silver medalist at the 1960 Olympics, dead at 89. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Going Underground 74 Posted June 7 On 22/05/2024 at 18:03, Sly Ronnie said: Wee fact: Wilkie was the only non-US male gold medallist in the 1976 Swimming competition. RIP. Remember a story me Dad used to tell me way back. Him and his mates were talking about David Wilkie down the pub one night and one bloke piped up with. "I hate that baldy-headed bastard". Incidentally, is big Dunc still with us? (goes off to check Wiki) 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drol 11,923 Posted June 7 On 19/04/2024 at 07:18, drol said: 1992 volleybal gold medallist André Ferreira (wiki) on life support after complications from chemotherapy, as he is suffering from lymphoma. André Ferreira dead at 59. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 10 Beata Maksymow was born in Czeladź and died at the age of 56, the Polish woman was a judoka who competed in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, her best results were 5 places in 92 and 96. She was two times world champion (93 in weight open, being the champion of a more recent edition to die, previously it was the Cuban Estela Rodriguez champion in 89, and 99 in the +78kg category (the only one who died since the event began to be contested in 1980) and 3 Europeans (97 in open weight, 86 in +72kg and 91 in +78kg, the only champion to die in these disciplines) https://przegladsportowy.onet.pl/judo/nie-zyje-beata-maksymow-wendt-miala-56-lat/7gnj7hb 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 11 Mikhail Kolyushev was born in Stalinabad, Tajik SSR, USSR and died aged 81, he was a cyclist and competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics in the 4 km team pursuit and finished fourth. He was part of the Soviet teams that won the team pursuit at the 1965 and 1967 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Between 1965 and 1968, Kolyushev won six national titles in various track events and set a world record in the 1 km track time trial (1:01.32, 1967) https://smotrim.ru/article/3992109 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Summer in Transylvania 2,173 Posted June 12 Abu Majed Maraheel, the first Palestinian to compete at the Olympic Games, dead at 61. He was prevented from receiving medical treatment due to the war in Gaza. Facebook link in Arabic. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 12 Guilherme Segurado was an Argentine rower born in Rosario and died at the age of 77, he competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics, he won gold at the 1971 Pan American Games in the eight category https://www.rosario3.com/deportes/El-deporte-rosarino-de-luto-murio-Guillermo-Segurado-remero-de-Regatas-y-el-mas-ganador-de-Argentina-20240610-0042.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alt obits guy 3,371 Posted June 17 J.J. Rice, a U.S-born Tongan kite foiler who was to have represented his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has died. He was 18. Rice died in a diving accident. He was due to become the first caucasian to represent the island kingdom at the games. Kite foiling is set to make its debut as an Olympic event. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/paris-olympics-2024-teenager-due-to-represent-tonga-dies-in-diving-accident/VJEN6QPCOBEMRMQWOO4WPBOHPQ/ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thatcher 2,386 Posted June 17 Bob Schul, who won Gold in the 5000m run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, has died aged 86. The only American to have won gold in that discipline. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 19 On 6/17/2024 at 6:54 PM, Thatcher said: Bob Schul, who won Gold in the 5000m run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, has died aged 86. The only American to have won gold in that discipline. He was the winner of an older edition in this category who was still alive, now this winner is the Tunisian Mohammed Gammoudi (b.1938), who won in 1968 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 19 Yoyong Martirez was born in Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines and died at the age of 77, and was a Filipino basketball player, actor, politician and comedian. He was a former Pasig city councilor. As a basketball player he competed in the 1972 Olympics and was part of the national team that won gold in the 1973 ABC Championship (now the FIBA Asia Cup). https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/basketball-legend-olympian-yoyong-martires-dies/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 19 Stefano Malinverni was born in Cinisello Balsamo, Italy and died at the age of 65. He won six medals in international athletics competitions, four of them with the national relay team. He participated in one edition of the Summer Olympic Games (1980), won 36 caps for the national team from 1977 to 1986. Won the bronze medal in the 4 x 400 meter relay at the 1980 Summer Olympics https://www.atleticalive.it/e-morto-stefano-malinverni-bronzo-olimpico-dell80-e-star-giovanile-dei-400/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whoismakoto 328 Posted June 20 Last living member of the 1948 USA field hockey squad, Harry Marcoplos, dead at 98 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diego 1,980 Posted June 20 Guram Kostava was born in Tbilisi and died at the age of 87, he was a Soviet fencer. Kostava won a bronze in the team epee event at the 1960 Summer Olympics and another in the individual epee event at the 1964 Summer Olympics. https://ren.tv/news/sport/1232474-umer-dvukratnyi-chempion-mira-po-fekhtovaniiu-guram-kostava 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sinbabad 1,115 Posted June 23 American Spencer Willis Spaulding, who participated at the 1948 Games in the Lacrosse event, has died in 2018. His middle name Willis isn’t mentioned on that source, but we can see here it’s the same relatives. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
