‘Equipment Manipulation’: Olympic Ski Jumpers Accused Of Injecting Acid Into Penises To Gain Edge

There’s a potential scandal in the world of Olympic ski jumping as some athletes are being accused of injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to achieve greater distances in competition.

“Penisgate” was first reported by the German newspaper Bild and is now being investigated by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The idea behind this method is to increase the surface area of the crotch on competitors, requiring athletes to be given a larger, looser suit, which leads to a reduced descent rate due to a larger surface area, as The Guardian previously reported.

World Anti-Doping Agency Director General Olivier Niggli said he was unaware of this method before the accusations went viral. 

“I’m not aware of the details of ski jumping — and how this can improve [performance] — but if anything was to come to the surface we would look at anything if it is actually doping related,” Niggli said.

“We don’t do other means of enhancing performance but our list committee would certainly look into whether this would fall into this category. But I hadn’t heard about that until you mentioned.”

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which oversees ski jumping at the Winter Olympics, initially investigated “allegations of illegal equipment manipulation” by the Norwegian ski jumping team in 2025.

Everyone is sharing this like it’s self-evident. I think it raises more questions than it answers. pic.twitter.com/0H5Jg5C1xA

— Joe Bernstein (@Bernstein) February 6, 2026

Two Olympic medalists from Norway, Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, faced three-month suspensions after it was discovered that their ski suits were altered in the crotch area at the 2025 World Ski Championships to achieve a similar effect.

Both competitors denied knowledge of the altered suits and will compete in the Olympics. One of Norway’s head coaches and two other staffers were also suspended in connection with the scandal, which was dubbed “Crotchgate.”

A recent study found that every 2 centimeters in suit size circumference reduced drag by 4% and increased lift by 5%, resulting in an extra 5.8 meters in jump length.

There are now more stringent inspections being done on ski jumping suits ahead of the competition. Per Associated Press, two FIS controllers and a doctor will use improved 3-D measurements to evaluate the athletes wearing their uniforms. 

The suits must pass this checkpoint before they are given tamper-proof microchips, which would make alterations impossible. These chips will be scanned and remain in place at all times, the outlet noted.

The 2026 Winter Olympics, commonly known as Milano Cortina 2026, kick off Friday in Italy.