Jaak Dillen

Jaak Dillen was born in Antwerpen (Antwerp), and first became involved in wrestling as a member of the Verenigde Krachtmeters (VK) club there in his teens. Selected for the Belgian Olympic team to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics, Dillen contested the freestyle bantamweight competition, losing a decision to eventual bronze medallist Bryan Hines in the quarter final. The winner of a 1927 national title, Dillen was selected once again to compete at the Olympic Games in 1928, competing this time in the Greco-Roman style in the featherweight class. There, he won his first two matches against the Norwegians, Martin Egeberg and Aage Meyer, but lost in the third round to Ernst Steinig of Germany in a decision. Dillen continued to remain active in the sport until the early 1930s.

His older brother, Joseph “Jef” Dillen (1903–1985) was also a notable wrestler during the same period, the winner of multiple national championship titles in the featherweight class and silver medallist at the 1929 European Wrestling Championships.