Henk Visser, Dutch long jumper, Died at 83

  Sports

Henk Visser was born on March 23, 1932, and passed away on November 13, 2015.

He was a long jumper from the Netherlands.

Henk competed at the 1952 and 1960 Summer Olympics and finished seventh in 1960.

On 17 September 1956, during the international competitions in Bucharest, Henk jumped 7.98 m, setting a national and European record.

This was the longest jump in 1956 and one of the best jumps ever in Europe by that time.

However, Henk could not take part at the 1956 Olympic Games due to their boycott by the Netherlands.

Besides the long jump, Henk also competed in the high jump and sprint, with the best achievements of 10.5 s in 100 m, 20.3 s in 200 m and 1.82 m in the high jump.

In the early 1959, Henk, who then worked as a clerk in a shipping company, left for the United States, where he obtained a study scholarship.

Henk started at the San José College, but then moved to the Bakersfield College.

At athletic competitions in Texas, Henk jumped 8.05 m, but overstepped the plank, and the jump was discounted.

Nevertheless, he had registered 7.97 m in April 1960 in Santa Barbara, California, and was considered a candidate for a medal at the 1960 Olympics.

However, Henk finished in seventh place with a humble result of 7.66 m.

Henk retired soon after the Games and later ran a sportswear and footwear export business from his home in Santa Barbara.

In the 1990s, he returned to the Netherlands.

Henk passed away at age 83 in November 2015.