Johan Bontekoe

Who is Johan Bontekoe?

Johan Bontekoe was a Dutch freestyle swimmer who won a gold medal in the 400 meter event at the 1962 European Aquatics Championships. This was the second ever European gold medal for a Dutch male swimmer after 1938. He also competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics but failed to reach the finals. Meanwhile, he was the leading middle and long distance freestyle swimmer in the Netherlands, winning almost all 200–1500 m events and setting 28 national records between 1960 and 1964. After retiring, he worked in a bank, but also remained associated with the Dutch swimming federation. He suffered from ill health in his last years, and died of pneumonia at the age 62.