Ski jumping drew massive crowds at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, yet the event sparked outrage when five top female competitors faced disqualification for wearing non-compliant jumpsuits.
Strict FIS Jumpsuit Rules
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) mandates jumpsuits made from approved materials with precise dimensions, limiting fabric to 2-4 centimeters over the body. This prevents aerodynamic edges. Authorities now deploy 3D scanners to check adherence, following past disputes.
Athletes Affected
Germany’s Katharina Althaus, Norway’s Silje Opseth and Anna Odine Stroem, Japan’s Sara Takanashi, and Austria’s Daniela Iraschko-Stolz all violated the rules with overly loose suits during the mixed team event.
Althaus, Iraschko-Stolz, and Takanashi lost their opening-round scores. Opseth and Stroem had final-round points erased, crushing Norway’s gold medal shot despite stellar runs from teammates Robert Johansson and Marius Lindvik.
FIS Explanation
FIS officials revealed that competition organizers offered pre-event suit tests to all teams, but only a handful participated. The banned suits proved too baggy, granting aerodynamic benefits. No teams filed official protests.
Athletes’ Reactions
Katharina Althaus blasted the rulings, declaring they “destroyed women’s ski jumping.” Silje Opseth issued an apology while calling the decision “very strange.”
Anna Odine Stroem rebounded strongly, claiming two golds and a silver at the ongoing 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
2026 Olympics Fresh Scandal
The 2026 Games stir new debate with claims that male ski jumpers seek hyaluronic acid injections for penis enlargement to cut wind resistance.
Plastic surgeon Alessandro Littara confirmed treating a ski jumper last month with a substantial hyaluronic acid dose. He refused to name the athlete or confirm Olympic involvement, adding, “I cannot say whether he told me the whole truth. But in any case, we did a good job.”
