Olympic Champion Ski Jumpers Cheat at World Ski Championships
- paolo bibat
- Mar 13
- 2 min read
A shocking cheating scandal has shaken the world of ski jumping, tarnishing Norway’s reputation for fair play and sportsmanship. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, two Olympic gold medalists, Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, were disqualified from the men’s large hill competition after their ski suits were found to have been illegally altered to improve aerodynamics.
The controversy erupted after a whistleblower leaked footage showing Norwegian team officials manipulating ski suits in a hotel room prior to the competition.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) confirmed that unauthorized modifications were made to the suits, including adding extra material to increase surface area and enhance flight time. FIS race director Sandro Pertile described the manipulation as “absolutely by far the worst” he had seen in his five years in the role.
The disqualifications came after formal protests from Austria, Slovenia, and Poland led FIS inspectors to cut open the seams of the suits for closer examination. “We destroyed the suit to be able to find this adjustment,” Pertile explained.
Norway’s head coach Magnus Brevig and equipment manager Adrian Livelten admitted to their roles in altering the suits and have since been suspended by the Norwegian Ski Federation. Brevig expressed deep regret, stating, “We regret it like dogs, and I’m terribly sorry that this happened. We got carried away in our bubble.” Livelten apologized to the athletes, sponsors, and fans, calling his actions “completely unacceptable.”
Both Lindvik and Forfang denied any knowledge of the tampering. Lindvik referred to the incident as a “nightmare,” while Forfang said he was “beyond devastated” by his disqualification. Lindvik had previously won gold in the normal hill event earlier in the championships, a result now under scrutiny as part of FIS’s broader investigation into Norwegian team practices.
The scandal has sent shockwaves through Norway, a country known for its leadership in winter sports and ethical principles. Norway has historically championed fair play in international competitions, including taking strong stances on human rights issues and opposing Russian participation after the invasion of Ukraine.
“This action was somehow killing our principles, our style, our joy for our discipline,” Pertile lamented. The incident has raised concerns about whether similar manipulations have occurred in past competitions and prompted calls for stricter oversight of equipment compliance.
FIS has announced a thorough investigation into Norwegian results at the championships and potentially beyond, including World Cup events and past Olympic performances. Federations from Austria, Slovenia, and Poland are demanding that all Norwegian results at Trondheim be annulled. If upheld, Germany’s Andreas Wellinger could be retroactively awarded gold in the normal hill event.
The scandal has sparked outrage across the ski jumping community, with figures like Poland’s head coach Thomas Thurnbichler likening it to doping fraud. "For me, it’s a mockery," Thurnbichler said. "It’s clear manipulation and clear sports fraud."
As investigations continue, Norway faces a reckoning over its role in one of winter sports’ most significant controversies in recent history—a saga that threatens its legacy as a global leader in ski jumping integrity.
