Ex-ski jumper Johan Remen Evensen accuses Austrian Daniel Tschofenig of 'deliberate cheating' at Winter Olympics after boot scandal
Updated 18/02/2026 at 10:07 GMT
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Johan Remen Evensen, former ski jumper and bronze medal winner at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, has accused the Austrian team of "deliberate cheating" after Daniel Tschofenig was disqualified from the men's large hill event, after it was ruled his boot was four millimetres larger than regulations permitted. Live coverage of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Tschofenig DISQUALIFIED from Olympics ski jumping for size of boots
Video credit: TNT Sports
Norwegian former ski jumper and expert Johan Remen Evensen said the ski jumping ban applied to Daniel Tschofenig was justified following a "clear violation" of the rules, and accused the Austrian team of "deliberate cheating".
Tschofenig, the 2025 World Cup champion, was disqualified following his first jump in the men's large hill individual event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics - which is live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - due to his boot being four millimetres larger than what is permitted under the regulations.
In the aftermath of his disqualification, Tschofenig said he was "naive and didn't measure" his boot, adding: "Extremely stupid of me, there was just so much stress going on. But rules are rules."
Evensen, who represented Norway and won bronze in the team event at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, hit out at what he felt was "deliberate cheating" by Tschofenig's team.
Evensen said of the incident, "Being disqualified for wearing shoes that are too big is a clear violation of the rules. It's obvious that the Austrians are desperate and are trying every trick in the book."
"Rules are rules. As long as they are enforced for everyone, that's fine."
Tschofenig scored 137.7 in the opening round, but was then immediately disqualified from the event, with Slovakia's Hektor Kapustik replacing him.
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Watch as Prevc clinches Olympic gold with monster large hill leap
Video credit: TNT Sports
Slovenia's Domen Prevc ended up winning gold, with Ren Nikaido of Japan picking up silver and Kacper Tomasiak of Poland taking bronze.
The alteration of the size of suits has been a bone of contention in ski jumping ahead of the Milano Cortina Games, following some longer term issues within the sport.
In August last year, Beijing 2022 long hill champion Marius Lindvik and PyeongChang 2018 team gold medallist Johann Andre Forfang - both representing Norway - were charged by the FIS alongside three members of staff following allegations of "illegal equipment manipulation" at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim.
Lindvik and Forfang accepted three-month suspensions, meaning they are able to compete at this Milano Cortina Games, and were not charged with having "actual knowledge" of the rule breaches.
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Kit-related controversy was further brought into the spotlight when World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) director general Olivier Niggli addressed claims made by German publication BILD that male ski jumpers had been injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid ahead of the Milano Cortina Games.
The outlet said that athletes sought an advantage as they attempted to make the crotch areas of their suits larger.
"I am not aware of the details of ski jumping, and how that could improve performance," Niggli said. "If anything was to come to the surface, we would look at it and see if it is doping related. We don't address other [non-doping] means of enhancing performance."
Evensen said that in light of the recent controversy, he was satisfied with the decision for Tschofenig to be disqualified.
"It was clear that some athletes violated the rules during the inspection. Nevertheless, they were allowed to jump without being disqualified," Evensen said.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
"This has led to people being willing to push the boundaries. Today, the rules are enforced fairly, regardless of which country you come from."
Tschofenig had entered his first Olympic Games on the back of a 2025 World Cup victory, having finished top in eight events across a series of 29, and he looked to be continuing that form after picking up victory in Lillehammer in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in November.
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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