The ski jumping scene is shaken by a publicly admitted fraud of the Norwegians. The extent is still unclear. The world association has to act anyway – and as soon as possible.
In addition to the athlete class, two things are important in ski jumping: technology and material. There have always been discussions about the latter, every season. Each nation tries to equip their jumper with the best material and the best suits.
However, the attraction manipulation of the Norwegians through reinforced seams and the admitted fraud have reached a new dimension. It is an escalation at the highest level. Manipulation “Without any scrupel” called it the German Ski Association (DSV). One could also say: a shame for the sport.
Around a year before the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the ski jumping world faces an immense loss of credibility and a new challenge. The World Association (FIS) must now find answers to numerous questions.
What it takes now is a clear processing. The world association must question the manual control system. The introduction of the NFC chips for this season was a first step, but must not have been the last due to the developments. The NFC chips are inserted into the individual parts of the suits and checked in every competition. This is to ensure that no parts are replaced. But how safe is the chip handling in the implementation really? According to “Bild”, the Norwegians are said to be trying to hack the data system. The chip is one thing. In addition, however, there are cuts and step lengths when the suit. These also have to be checked exactly.
Ski jump icon Sven Hannawald therefore expressed the wish in an interview with T-Online that the controls should take over a machine in the future. In this way, the jumpers are “not dependent on human influence”. And every jumper knew whether his suit withstands the exam or not. Test during the season? None. Because machines don’t know a gray area. One thing is also important: transparency.
Due to the ever new rules and changes, it is not only difficult for the audience to keep an overview.
At the end of January, for example, the Slovenian Timi Zajc was disqualified in the team competition in Willingen after an attachment check in the first round because the width of his step was too great. His team managed to qualify and Zajc was allowed to jump back – in the suit that had not previously met the requirements. Suddenly everything fit. Already at the turn of the year and at the beginning of this year, the material on the four -hill tour was an issue when the Austrians flew away all.
The world association has to say what happens, for example, if a ZAJC can jump with the same suit according to the rules after it was criticized and ZAJC was therefore disqualified. It is not for nothing that the stadium announcement after a VAR decision in the Bundesliga. Something like this would also need to ski jumping according to disqualifications through attachment checks.
It is now time for the World Association to pass through – as soon as possible. The time runs. Because even if this season is coming to an end and the full extent of the Norwegian scandal is still unclear, the new season is already in the starting blocks. And in exactly 334 days, the Olympic competition on the ski jump starts.