The sport of ski jumping is facing renewed scrutiny after reports surfaced alleging that some athletes may be manipulating genital measurements to gain an aerodynamic advantage during competition, a claim that has sparked debate within the international ski jumping community, as reported by The New York Post.

According to a report by the German publication Bild, some professional ski jumpers are allegedly enlarging their genital area prior to mandatory pre-season measurements in order to qualify for slightly larger competition suits.

The report claims that substances such as hyaluronic acid have been used to temporarily increase size, sometimes placed inside a silicone, condom-like sleeve worn beneath the suit.

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Under rules set by the sport’s governing body, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, athletes are required to undergo body scans before the season begins.

Those scans determine the precise dimensions of their competition suits, which are tightly regulated because even small changes in surface area can affect lift and flight distance.

According to Bild, the crotch measurement is taken from the lowest point of an athlete’s genitals.

“If you manage to move that point downward, you automatically get more surface area on the suit,” the outlet wrote, explaining that the added fabric can improve aerodynamics and potentially result in longer jumps.

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The report stated that the allegations are based on information circulating “behind the scenes” within the ski jumping world.

No athletes have been formally accused, charged, or sanctioned in connection with the genital manipulation claims.

Norwegian ski jumper Halvor Egner Granerud reacted with disbelief when asked about the report by the Norwegian outlet Dagbladet.

Granerud described the idea of genital manipulation for competitive advantage as “completely absurd” and said he had never heard of such practices before the German report was published.

Granerud explained that suit measurements are conducted during pre-season body scans overseen by medical professionals, with standardized underwear used to prevent manipulation.

He acknowledged that factors such as body temperature can influence measurements, but said the notion of injecting substances into the penis to gain an advantage “sounds extreme” and is not something he believes is occurring within the sport.

The allegations surfaced amid heightened enforcement activity by the FIS.

Last week, the federation suspended two Norwegian ski jumping coaches and the team’s suit technician for 18 months following an investigation into suit manipulation during last year’s world championships.

FIS investigators determined that on the eve of the final day of the 2025 Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, the head coach of the Norwegian team, Magnus Brevig, along with a suit technician, was captured on video inserting illegal non-elastic stitching into the crotch area of the competition suits worn by two leading athletes.

The federation said the alterations violated equipment regulations designed to ensure fairness and competitive balance.

While that case involved suit construction rather than body manipulation, it has fueled broader concerns about how teams may attempt to exploit technical rules.

FIS officials have not commented publicly on the specific allegations raised in the Bild report.

The governing body has repeatedly stated that it is committed to maintaining strict equipment standards and enforcing rules consistently across all competitions.

As the winter season continues, the controversy has added another layer of attention to a sport already navigating increased oversight of equipment and athlete compliance.

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