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Johan Schmitt

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Johan Schmitt
Dutch team at the 1905 World Championships. Johan Schmitt is 3rd from the left
Personal information
Full nameJohan Henri Antoine Gerrit Schmitt
Born(1881-08-31)31 August 1881
Vrijenban, Netherlands
Died12 August 1955(1955-08-12) (aged 73)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country
represented		Netherlands
Medal record
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1905 Bordeaux Team[1]

Johan Henri Antoine Gerrit Schmitt (August 31, 1881 in Vrijenban, Delft – August 12, 1955 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch gymnast, visual artist, musician, physical educator.[2] He was a pioneer of artistic gymnastics in Amsterdam.[3]

Biography

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Schmitt attended art school Quellinus from 1896 to 1901. He was a drawer, sculptor and musician.[2]

In 1904, Schmitt was awarded the Honorary Medal for Charitable Assistance in bronze.[4] On June 28th that year he had jumped into the Herengracht to rescue a drowning person.[5]

Gymnastics career

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Gymnastics was his hobby that became his profession in 1907 when he became a gymnastics teacher. He retired in that capacity in 1941 from the Barlaeus gymnasium.[6]

Schmitt was part of the team of the Netherlands that won the silver medal at the second World Championships in 1905. He was retrospectively scored in 9th place all around (the event was purely a team event).[7]

Schmitt won the individual events at the 1908 gymnastics tournament of the Dutch Gymnastics Association.[8]

At the 1908 Summer Olympics Schmitt was also part of the Dutch gymnastics team, which finished seventh in the team event.[9] De Telegraaf adscribed the disappointing result explicitly to Schmitt, who had organized a night of entertainment during the journey by boat at the Batavier IV. De Telegraaf blamed the team for a lack of preparation and a bad attitude toward the games.[10]

Alongside his career as a competitive gymnast, Schmitt was also active in the organization of gymnastics clubs and events, frequently applying his art skills. In 1919, Schmitt designed the poster and was principal director of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Dutch Gymnastics Association [nl].[11][12]

In 1924 Schmitt was member of the committee to strengthen gymnastics as a sport for women in the Netherlands.[13] Around that time, Schmitt also introduced rhythmic gymnastics in the Netherlands, by organizing workshops in which he played the piano.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (2005). 125th Anniversary - The story goes on... FIG. p. 61.
  2. ^ a b "Johan Schmitt". research.rkd.nl. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  3. ^ "Kracht en Vriendschap 75 jaar Amsterdamsche turnpioniers". Algemeen Handelsblad. 1943-11-19. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  4. ^ "Wetten, besluiten, benoemingen". Nederlandsche staatscourant. 1904-09-10. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  5. ^ "Een flinke daad". De locomotief. 1904-08-03. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  6. ^ "LEERAREN BIJ HET MIDDELBAAR ONDERWIJS ONTSLAGEN". De Tijd : godsdienstig-staatkundig dagblad. 1941-10-21. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  7. ^ "1905: The World Championships That Almost Didn't Happen – Gymnastics History". www.gymnastics-history.com. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  8. ^ Carré (9 June 1908). "GYMNASTIEK. Het 40-jarig jubileum van het N.G.V." De Telegraaf. Retrieved 2025-05-01. Vooral I. H. A. G. Schmitt, den 1en prijswinner in de persoonlijke wedstrijden, viel een warme ovatie ten deel. [Especially I. H. A. G. Schmitt, the 1st prize winner in the individual competitions, received a warm ovation.]
  9. ^ "Johan Schmitt". Olympedia. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  10. ^ "GYMNASTIEK. De Nederlandsche turners in Londen". De Telegraaf. 1908-08-24. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  11. ^ "De affiche voor het turnfeest". De revue der sporten. 12 (43): 653. 1919-06-25.
  12. ^ "Het Gouden Feest van het Nederlandsch Gymnastiek Verbond". Het Leven. Geillustreerd. 14 (30). 1919-07-29.
  13. ^ "GYMNASTIEK. Het vrouwen-turnen en het K.N.G.V." Algemeen Handelsblad. 1924-10-01. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  14. ^ "Rythmische gymnastiek". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden. 1924-12-31. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
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