Hendricus Thijsen

Hendricus Josephus Franciscus Thijsen also written as Henricus Thijsen (30 July 1881 – 10 October 1946) was a Dutch gymnast. He was a member of Olympia [nl] in Amsterdam and represented the Netherlands at international competitions.

Hendricus Thijsen
Full name	Hendricus Josephus Franciscus Thijsen
Born	30 July 1881 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Died	10 October 1946 Johannesburg [nb 1], South Africa
Height	170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Gymnastics career
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Country represented	Netherlands
Club	Olympia [nl], Amsterdam
Medal record Representing  Netherlands World Championships 1903 Antwerp Pommel Horse[2]

Thijsen is the first Dutch World Gymnastics Champion setting the highest score at the first World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in the pommel horse discipline in 1903. He was the only individual Dutch male world champion for over 100 years.

Biography

Thijsen was born in Amsterdam in 30 July 1881. He was a member of gymnastics club Olympia [nl] in the same city. One of his earliest newspapers mentions was in May 1901 mentioned as one of the main gymnasts of the club.^[3] At the 1902 annual individual tournament in Amsterdam he finished second behind Schmidt and was one of the five gymnasts who earned a diploma.^[4]

The following year he represented the Netherlands at the first-ever World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 1903 in Antwerp. He had the highest score in pommel horse discipline, tied with Frenchmen Georges Dejaeghère and Joseph Lux. At the time it was not named as a world championships and no individual titles were awarded. However, the results were praised in Dutch newspapers with De Telegraaf writing “No wonder that wherever the Dutch gymnasts appear, they are celebrated as the heroes of the day!”.^[5]

A few decades later, in 1931, the former tournament including the Antwerp 1903 tournament, became retrospective an official world championships ànd Thijsen became recognized as individual world champion.^[5] He was the only male Dutch individual world champion for over 100 years. His successor was Yuri van Gelder winning the rings event at the 2005 championships.^[6]

At the 1903 annual individual tournament in Amsterdam he finished again second, this time behind Waag and received another a diploma.^[7]

Thijsen also competed at other international tournaments, including the 1908 Summer Olympics in London where he competed in the team all around event and in the individual all around event.^[1]

In 1925 he emigrated to South Africa. He died there in Johannesburg (or Pretoria) on 10 October 1946 at the age of 65 years old.^[1][5]

Notes

1. The death place is not entirely clear. Pretoria is according to a note by Olympedia also a possibility to be the location.^[1]