Manipulated suits?
“Shocked”: Ski jumping scandal triggers horror
09.03.2025 – 8:13 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
It was a bang on Saturday afternoon: Norwegian ski jumping stars were disqualified in their own country. The shaft of the horror is great.
The World Cup gold medalist from the normal hill, Marius Lindvik, had actually won silver from the Großchanze in Trondheim on Saturday afternoon. But after the competition, the suits were checked and the Norwegian precious metal winner as well as his teammates Johann André Forfang and Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal disqualified. The world association FIS cited a “manipulation of the suit” as the reason.
FIS racing director Sandro Pertile said after the disqualifications: “I’m shocked. We would not have expected something like that. After the competition, we were able to better control the suits. Some had something striking.” What exactly? “The seam was the problem here. It was a different material in the seam. We now have to look at the situation in peace and make an analysis,” continued Pertile.
Especially the fact that Lindvik won gold from the normal hill a few days ago triggers discussions. However, the title is not subsequently revoked. Pertile explained: “When the controls are finished, the competitions are ready. We also don’t know when that happened. We got some pictures that were from last night.” So it was seen on videos how the Norwegians sew on their suits in their team hotel.
The German Ski Association (DSV) also had little understanding. Sports director Horst Hüttel emphasized: “That makes me sad and angry equally. For me it seems that it will be made systemic. For me, that’s the decisive factor.”
The Norwegian team had argued that the suits shown in a video were intended for the upcoming World Cup weekend in Oslo. Hüttel was not very convinced of this explanation. Hüttel said: “When the technicians of the other nations heard that, it torn them. It is as if someone takes unauthorized medication here and says that he takes them for next week. I can’t follow at all.”
In an interview with T-Online, the German ski jumping icon Sven Hannawald already complained about the material and the changes since the beginning of the season. Therefore, the 50-year-old says: “I hope that measurements can be regulated more clearly through technical support. Just like the 3D measurement at the beginning of the season that it also works on the ski jump. That the jumpers are not dependent on human stress or influence.”
Why? “A machine says green or red, there is no yellow. Accordingly, I hope that in the near future no one will make the measurements, but a machine. People can be influenced in every situation.” Read more about Sven Hannawald’s view here.