Johannes Godefridus SMEEKENS

Jan Smeekens started out as a football player and sprinter, winning a regional title in the 60 m. At 17, he started competing in weightlifting, and would not quit until he was 42. He won a total of 20 Dutch titles between 1942 and 1962, and participated in two Olympics. His best performance came in the 1951 European Championships in Milan (Italy), where he took the gold medal. His title is the still the last one won by a Dutch lifter.