“If you don’t notice that, you don’t notice anything anymore”
Ski jumping scandal: Wellinger does not believe Norwegians
03/18/2025 – 8:01 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The ski jumping scandal goes into the next round. The Norwegian stars assert their innocence. DSV athlete Andreas Wellinger has doubts.
The German ski jumper Andreas Wellinger expresses doubts about the statements of his Norwegian competitors in the scandal about manipulated suits. The 29-year-old told “ZEIT ONLINE” that a jumper would always notice changes in his own suit.
“As a ski jumper, you immediately notice when your suit has been fiddled. Even if nobody said you anything beforehand,” said Wellinger. This applies especially in this case, since a stabilizing seam was drawn in from the leg to the step, the Olympic champion continued. “This makes the suit much more immobile. If you don’t notice that, you don’t notice anything anymore.”
The Norwegian jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang had previously asserted that they were not aware of any manipulation. In a joint message from the Norwegian association, they said: “None of us would have jumped with a suit that we knew about was manipulated.”
However, Wellinger was skeptical: “I have the feeling that the Norwegians only admit what they can no longer deny. And that they cover up what they can cover up. All athletes, supervisors and experts are of the opinion.”
During the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, anonymously filmed video material appeared, which the Norwegian team showed in the unauthorized manipulation of competition suits. Lindvik and Forfang were then disqualified by the large hill.
In the meantime, both athletes and other Norwegian jumpers and officials have been suspended and are no longer allowed to take part in competitions from the World Association FIS. Lindvik’s World Cup gold medal from the normal hill remains despite the incidents. Wellinger had taken second place there.