Former Olympian Jernaj Damjan weighs in Conn ski jumping suit controversy: 'Nobody looks so stupid in my eyes'
Published 07/02/2026 at 11:30 GMT
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A major talking point before the Winter Olympics got under way in Milano Cortina was a bizarre one and it is still gaining traction. It was of course the story that male ski jumpers have been injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid in order to gain an advantage with ski jump sizing. Former Slovenian ski jumper Jernaj Damjan has weighed in with his verdict, suggesting the story is false.
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One of the big talking points prior to the Winter Olympics getting underway was that male ski jumpers are manipulating their suits by injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid.
German outlet Bild claimed last month that the acid, which is not on WADA’s prohibited list, can be used to increase the circumference of the penis by up to two centimetres.
It said that athletes were having the procedure done before they got measured for their suits, which would in turn increase their crotch size.
International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) ski jumping men's director Sandro Pertile previously said: "Every extra centimetre on a suit counts.
"If your suit has a 5% bigger surface area, you fly further. Of course, this is a competitive sport and everyone’s on the limit with the rules because everyone wants to win."
But according to former ski jumper Jernej Damjan, now on the FIS committee, it is totally false.
He said on TNT Sports' daily morning show Buongiorno Milano: "Where the story has come from, you know people’s imagination is really big.
"Everybody can have a say and if you got picked up by a big media or whatever, it can become kind of true.
"Basically, the complete story is complete … you finish the sentence, but I don’t think that will help, especially not in the races."
The story suggested that athletes were being measured for their suits much closer to the games than they are, according to the Slovenian Olympian.
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Damjan revealed that athletes are actually measured up in the summer, and that while it technically would be possible to increase penis size temporarily for suit size, it would have to be done then.
The 42-year-old makes it clear he does not think anybody would actually do it, not least due to the added weight the acid would bring to the scales, something else ski jumpers want to keep as low as possible.
He continued: "These are the stories that people will like, it is plausible, but not during the Olympics.
"All the measurements were done already in the summer, so you get the measurements for your crotch measurement, the shorter it is, the better for you because then you have more space to fly on here or more material.
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"So, yes, technically. If somebody were to be that stupid to do it, they would need to do it in summer.
"Because now this measurement cannot be changed anymore, well it can, but only higher which doesn’t help you.
"Hyaluronic acid would also weigh something and that is really important for ski jumpers so I don’t think, I know all the athletes, or I would say 99% of them, and nobody looks so stupid in my eyes."
The men's normal hill event takes place on Monday, February 9, with the long hill event on Saturday, February 14 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
How to watch the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
TNT Sports and discovery+ will be the go-to destination in the UK to watch all of Milano Cortina 2026 live, with more than 850 hours of action from every sport, venue and medal event.
Coverage will be made available to the widest audience ever, with discovery+ customers across all plans - starting at £3.99/month in the UK and €4.99/month in Ireland - able to access comprehensive live coverage with 24/7 coverage available through TNT Sports 2 and a selection of live event feeds.
TNT Sports 2 will serve as the primary Olympic destination, offering more than 200 hours of live event coverage, studio programming, replays and highlights, delivering round-the-clock storytelling from Milano Cortina across all 17 days of competition.
WBD’s coverage of the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 begins on Wednesday, February 4 ahead of the Opening Ceremony at the iconic San Siro stadium on Friday 6 February, running until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 22.
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