Ruska, Olympic judo two-time gold medalist, dies at 74

Ruska, Olympic judo two-time gold medalist, dies at 74

Published Feb. 16, 2015 7:09 a.m. ET

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Wim Ruska, the only man to win two judo gold medals at the same Olympics, has died. He was 74.

The two-time world champion from the Netherlands won Olympic gold in the heavyweight division at the 1972 Munich Games and then won another gold medal in the open category.

The Netherlands Judo Federation said Ruska died on Saturday, but did not give a cause of death.

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"The judo world has lost one of its greatest icons," federation chairman Willem Jan Stegeman said.

Ruska, known as "Tarzan of the tatami," was inducted into the International Judo Federation's hall of fame in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. He was also a seven-time European champion.

 

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