Olympic memories: Rome’s lasting legacy

The 1960 Games in Rome marked a turning point in the history of the Olympics. The Rome Games was a coming-out party for Italy, a country defeated in the World War II 15 years earlier. It was also the first Olympics commercially televised. The Games showcased what would become the ‘shoe wars’ – a German, Armin Hary, wore Puma during the race and Adidas on the medal stand in an effort to play both sides!

But what was of grave concern and left a lasting impact was the competition also included the first confirmed use of doping in the Olympics, when a Danish cyclist, Knud Enemark Jensen, died during an event.

The incident occurred during the 100km road race team time trial. Riding in the severe heat (34 degree Celsius) took toll on several participants. Jensen and his teammate both collapsed during the event, with the former fatally fracturing his skull. At first, it was thought they had suffered sunstroke. They were taken to a hospital in a nearby Rome hospital but Jensen was declared dead shortly after. The autopsy showed he had taken amphetamines and Roniacol (which may decrease blood pressure).

However, on March 24, 1961, the three physicians who performed the autopsy submitted a final report stating that the death was caused by a heat wave, not by the drugs found in his body. His family received approximately $1,600 as compensation.

But the incident led the International Olympic Committee to form a medical commission in 1967 and institute drug testing at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, and at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico.