More than five months after the manipulation scandal at the World Cup in Trondheim, there is now certainty about the outcome of the investigation: The Ski World Association FIS and its Ethics committee have agreed on a comparison in the procedure about the two ski jumpers Johann André Forfang and Marius Lindvik.
The manipulation scandal drives the ski jumping scene for almost half a year for the diving suits of the Norwegian team at his home World Cup in Trondheim. Since Saturday morning it has been clear how the investigation for the two athletes Johann André Forfang and Marius Lindvik ends: As the Ski World Association FIS announced, there has been a comparison.
“The FIS has asked the FIS (FIS-Ethik-Committee, editor’s note) to accept the indictments against Johann Forfang and Marius Lindvik. The FIS considers a minimum lock of three months to be appropriate, whereby served times of the preliminary ban is to be deducted from it. The examination by the IECO (independent ethics and compliance department of the FIS, editor’s note), each of CHF 2,000, “says the press release.
The comparison was signed on Friday, August 22nd by the lawyer of the two Springer, Anne-Lise H. Rolland, the FIS lawyer Dr. Stephan Netzle and the chairman of the three-member panel of the FIS Ethics Committee Michael Beloff.
In turn, Rolland published a statement about Norwegian media in which both athletes acknowledge that they jumped with non-compliant suits at the Groß hill-single singles of the World Cup in Trondheim. You also recognize that you should “have asked questions about the changes made to the suits and that the omission of these questions is a violation of the rules”.
Accordingly, they violated two rules of the FIS International Competition Ordinance (IWO) and “also took responsibility”. However, it was emphasized on both sides that “there was no knowledge of the suits against the regulations and that the FIS did not charge the athletes.”
Forfang and Lindvik at the World Cup start again
The date, from which the newly imposed lock for Forfang and Lindvik runs, is August 23. Since the 18 days already served are counted towards the comparison, the duration is now two months and twelve days. Conversely, this means that both athletes are blocked for the rest of the summer season.
All in all, it is the sharpest imposed punishment in the history of ski jumping, which has ever been imposed in an immediate connection with a competition, but both athletes get off lightly because they will not miss any jumping of great relevance in the current season.
So you can start international competition events at the start of the World Cup season on November 21st in Lillehammer. You can continue to participate in competitions within Norway, such as the state championships on Sunday.
The lock again is somewhat surprising, however, since both had already participated in the first summer grand prix in Courchevel. Lindvik even won the first jumping (with demonstrably controlling material).
Forfang expressed the “NRK” radio: “It may be the best solution for an otherwise very unsightly situation. Of course we could have taken another way and try to be fully acquitted. But the regulations now provide that you have an objective responsibility for your own equipment, even if the routines in the team are not entirely in line with it. And then we have to accept the slightest punishment that was suggested by the FIS.”
No judgment against coaches and technicians yet
According to the current status, it is still open which consequences the events of Trondheim will have for the former Norwegian head coach Magnus Brevig, as well as whose assistant Thomas Lobben and service technician Adrian Livelten. These were initially suspended by the Norwegian association, released in May and also charged by the FIS.
According to a report by the broadcaster “TV2”, the FIS board had recommended that this to block them for 18 months-this would also apply in the event, if they work for other associations. In addition, according to the media report, the FIS also wanted to impose the legal costs incurred.
The World Cup scandal started on the last day of the competition when it was seen on anonymously filmed and published videos how competition suits were dealt with in an inadmissible way. An unauthorized seam was sewn into the interior of the suit, which should provide more stability in the air in the air.
Forfangs and Lindvik’s suit were then inspected and confiscated by the FIS material controllers and both jumper disqualified by the big hill till. As a result, the FIS imposed competition blocks against both athletes and three of their teammates. However, the latter three were acquitted on August 11th after the first investigation report.