Knud Enemark Jensen's Death During the 1960 Rome Olympics: A Search for Truth?

The linguistic turn in philosophy has brought the problem of truth to the fore of historiography. This has led to number of writers suggesting that there is no truth in history. This article aims to challenge this view through a study of the death of the Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen at the Olympic Games in Rome 1960. Through the literature on the history of doping it is often mentioned that Jensen died from his use of amphetamines and that this fatality prompted a more serious response from politicians and sporting bodies. While evidence suggests that the incident did prove something of a catalyst for firming up anti-doping policy, it will be shown here that the oft-repeated claim that Jensen's death was doping-related is in fact unfounded. The implications for an understanding of truth in contemporary historiography will be discussed.