Controversy hits ski jumping ahead of 2026 Winter Olympics as athletes disqualified over rule-breaking kit
Published 11/08/2025 at 18:16 GMT+1
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Six months ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics taking place in Milano Cortina, kit controversy struck in ski jumping as the 2025/26 season got underway on Saturday. The Grand Prix event in France saw six male ski jumpers disqualified with their suits deemed not to be in line with new regulations. Numerous other athletes were not permitted to start as the new campaign opened in strange circumstances.
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The commencement of the 2025/26 ski jumping season was hit with kit-related controversy which saw numerous athletes disqualified.
Six months ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, set to take place in Milano Cortina, there has been widespread confusion over new regulations relating to the kit worn by ski jumping athletes.
Changes in the rules followed a scandal which rocked the sport in March, in which officials and athletes of the Norwegian team were investigated over suits which did not comply with the rules, and were alleged to have been altered to improve the flight of the athletes.
On Monday, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) charged Olympic gold medalists Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang and three members of Norwegian staff after allegations of "illegal equipment manipulation" at the Trondheim event. The body said the cases will be referred to the FIS Ethics Committee (FEC) for adjudication.
The impact of the scandal in March was evident as the new season got underway on Saturday, as six men's ski jumpers were disqualified due to issues with their suits - namely their waist size.
Another jumper was not allowed to start on Sunday, while an FIS statement reported by The Associated Press indicated that a further nine men and five women were barred from starting following a "technical approval" process.
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In the reported statement, FIS race director Sandro Pertile said the disqualifications are not being perceived as attempts to cheat, but rather a natural result of tighter rules that have been implemented following the recent scandal.
"It’s perfectly normal for teams to need some time to adapt to the new situation after such comprehensive changes to the equipment regulations. Some cope with it straight away, others find it difficult at first," Pertile told AP.
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"It’s also important to highlight that these disqualifications are clearly a result of technical inadequacies - there’s no sign whatsoever of ill intent from the teams."
Pertile added: "The teams know that they have our full support, and we expect the number of disqualifications to decrease significantly in the coming weeks.
"With that said, we will remain strict and precise with equipment check the whole season long; there is no room for exceptions."
Stream the 2025-26 winter sports season on discovery+
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