Toon Geurts

Toon Geurts started kayaking as a teenager, having made his own boat from abandoned material at the military airfield. He then bought a proper kayak for recreational use, and started racing in 1952. His best event was the 10 km, but the distance events were discontinued from the Olympics after 1956. He nevertheless débuted at the Games in 1960, the first of three Olympics. Geurts would contest four Olympic finals, including three consecutive appearances in the K2 1,000 m final. In 1964, he placed second with Paul Hoekstra, equalling the best Dutch Olympic canoeing performance. In 1961, Geurts had also won an international medal in the K1 10,000 m at the European Championships. Retiring from active sports after the Mexico City Olympics, Geurts became team leader of the Dutch team, which he remained through the 1980s. Geurts worked as a machinist at Philips in Eindhoven for well over 40 years.