“I crossed the border”
Ski jumping legend gives fraud
21.03.2025 – 8:32 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
He is one of the largest in his sport. But now Janne Ahonen has made a confession – which sets ski jumping under further pressure to act.
Ski jumping does not come to rest. Even more: The fraud scandal in sports around manipulated suits to the Norwegian team even expands. Because now the former top jumper Janne Ahonen has also admitted that he had violated the suit rules during his active career.
Compared to the Norwegian broadcaster “NRK”, the five-time four-hilk touring winner explained: “We all went to the borders-and a little bit over it.” Ahonen emphasized that he had never attached unauthorized additives to his suit, “but when it comes to size, I covered the regulations and exceeded the border.”
However, he was not alone with this approach. Even more: it was widespread in ski jumping, the Finn continues. “Of course” he knew about the regulations. According to Ahonen, it is common for the athletes to know exactly about the condition of their suits. “Everyone knows what their suits look like.”
The Finn also expressed doubts about the independence of the current controls by the Ski World Association FIS. His guess: The accuracy of the controls could sometimes depend on sporting success. “It is easier to pull out someone with a low start number and disqualify him.”
The 47-year-old now calls for basic reforms in material controls in ski jumping. “Perhaps there should be someone from outside who controls the suits, as with doping,” says Ahonen. And further: “The FIS (Ski World Association, editor’s note) does not do the doping controls, that does the world-anti-doping agency. Maybe it should be the same with the suits.” Ahonen wants “an independent position that takes care of it.”