After the scandalous flood of disqualifications in the mixed competition in Beijing, ski jumping Olympic silver medalist Katharina Althaus made serious allegations towards the world association FIS.
“We were so happy that we had a second competition here at the Olympics. The FIS destroyed that with this campaign. I think they destroyed women’s ski jumping,” said the 25-year-old from Oberstdorf on Monday evening: “I I don’t know what they want to do with it.”
Althaus was one of five jumpers penalized for an irregular suit in the inaugural mixed event. As a result, Germany missed the entry into the second round and the possible medal. “Our names are all there now, we just pulled the arse card. That destroys nations, subsidies, and the whole sport unfairly,” said Althaus.
She was “checked so many times in eleven years of ski jumping, and I wasn’t disqualified once. I know my suit fit.”
In addition to Althaus, the Norwegians Silje Opseth and Anna Odine Ström, the Japanese Sara Takanashi and the Austrian Daniela Iraschko-Stolz were also disqualified. All four top nations remained without medals. The inspectors had no objections to the men.