Knud Enemark Jensen
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Knud Enemark Jensen |
| Nationality | Denmark |
| Born |
30 November 1936 Århus, Midtjylland, Denmark |
| Died |
26 August 1960 (aged 23) Rome, Italy |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Cycling |
Knud Enemark Jensen (30 November 1936 – 26 August 1960) was a Danish cyclist who died while participating in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. He is notable for having been involved in an early doping scandal.[1]
Biography
Jensen was born in Århus. In 1960 he was the winner of the individual Nordic Championship, as well as a member of the Danish team that won the silver medal in the team time trial at that event.[1][2]
The Olympic 100 km team time trial road race was held in over 100-degree heat on Viale Cristoforo Colombo in Rome. One of the four-man Danish team, Jorgen B. Jorgensen, dropped out of the race due to sunstroke after the first lap, necessitating that all three remaining Danish cyclists finish the race for the team not to be disqualified. Jensen told his teammates that he felt dizzy. Niels Baunsof clutched his jersey, keeping him from falling, while Vagn Bangsborg held Jensen from the other side. Bangsborg sprayed Jensen with water, leading to an apparent improvement, but when Baunsof let go, Jensen collapsed and fractured his skull on the pavement.[3][4]
Jensen was brought by ambulance to an overheated military tent near the finish line, where he died that afternoon without regaining consciousness. Prince Axel of Denmark, an International Olympic Committee member, was on his way to Jensen's bedside when Jensen died.[5]
Oluf Jorgensen, the Danish cycling team's trainer, told Danish government investigators that he had given Jensen and some other cyclists Roniacol (nicotinyl alcohol), a vasodilator.[1][6] Jensen's autopsy was conducted at the Instituto di Medicina Legale. On 25 March 1961, the three Italian physicians who performed the autopsy submitted a final report stating that Jensen's death was caused by heatstroke, and that no drugs were found in his body.[7][8] The complete autopsy report was never made public. Years later, Alvaro Marchiori, one of the doctors who conducted the autopsy, claimed that they had "found traces of several things", including amphetamine.[8]
Jensen's death led the International Olympic Committee to form a medical committee in 1961 and institute drug testing at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, and at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico.[1][9]
Jensen was married to the niece of former Olympic cycling champion Henry Hansen.[1] His family received one million lire ($1600) from an Olympic insurance policy in compensation for his death.[10]
See also
- List of doping cases in cycling
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
- Denmark at the 1960 Summer Olympics
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Knud Enemark Jensen Biography and Olympic Results". Sports Reference LLC. 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ↑ Maraniss, David (2008). Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-4165-3407-5.
- ↑ Maraniss, pp. 110-113.
- ↑ McEvoy, Jonathan (25 March 2011). "50 Olympic moments that stunned the world, 35-26: Hooray Hemery and eye-popping Kelly!". Daily Mail. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ↑ Maraniss, p. 113. Jensen was incorrectly reported by wire services to be in a hospital.
- ↑ Maraniss, p. 138.
- ↑ The Associated Press (26 March 1961). "Danish Cyclist Died Of Heat, Not Drug". New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- 1 2 Maraniss, p. 141.
- ↑ Maraniss, p. 142.
- ↑ The Organizing Committee of the Games of the XVII Olympiad (1960). The Games of the XVII Olympiad Rome 1960: The Official Report of the Organizing Committee (PDF) 1. p. 447. Retrieved 10 August 2012.