Frits Janssens

Frits Janssens was a pioneering figure in the sport of wrestling in his hometown of Antwerpen (Antwerp), having been involved in the sport for over 40 years. He initially became involved as a teenager in the early 1900s and was a founding member of the Antwerpen Verenigde Krachtmeters (V.K.) club at 16-years-old. A pupil of local professional wrestler Laurent Gerstmans, Janssens would go on to compete at the Olympic Games on three occasions in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, firstly in his hometown in 1920, and lastly at Amsterdam in 1928 at age 36. His best result came in the 1920 middleweight freestyle tournament, where he finished fifth in a field of 18 competitors. Domestically, he won several regional and national titles, and remained an active competitor into the 1930s.

Following his retirement, Janssens became a longtime wrestling coach/trainer, having already opened up a gym in 1926 bearing his name, and being involved in the administration of the Verenigde Krachtmeters club since the mid-1920s. He coached the national wrestling team on multiple occasions, including at the 1948 Olympics and at other international tournaments. He was married with one daughter, and remained a resident of Antwerpen until his death in 1965, less than a month after his 73rd birthday.