A below-the-belt scandal is giving ski jumping extra lift as some competitors in the winter sport are reportedly manipulating their genital size in order to gain an aerodynamic edge over their rivals.
Professional ski jumpers are artificially enlarging the genital area before official measurements by using substances such as hyaluronic acid — sometimes placed in a silicone, condom-like sleeve — to boost crotch dimensions, according to the German publication Bild.
The enlarged genital area allows athletes to wear a slightly bigger ski jumping suit that generates more lift and improve aerodynamic — which in turn can add critical meters in flight.
Before the season, ski jumpers are subjected to mandatory body scans to determine the dimensions of their suits under the guidelines of the sport’s governing body, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
The crotch measurement is taken from the lowest point of an athlete’s genitals, the German tabloid reported.
“If you manage to move that point downward, you automatically get more surface area on the suit,” Bild wrote, adding the extra fabric provides aerodynamic advantages that can translate into longer jumps.
Bild claimed some jumpers have allegedly used hyaluronic acid to temporarily enlarge the genital area ahead of the scan, sometimes by injecting the substance into a silicone, condom-like sheath worn inside the suit.
The claims are based on information circulating “behind the scenes,” in the ski jumping world, the outlet reported, stressing no specific athletes have been formally accused or charged in connection with the allegations.
Norwegian ski jumper Halvor Egner Granerud told Dagbladet he was stunned by the claims, calling the idea of genital manipulation “completely absurd” and saying he had never heard of such practices before the German report surfaced.
Granerud said suit measurements are taken during pre-season body scans overseen by medical staff, with standardized underwear used to prevent manipulation.
He said that while being warm during measurements can matter, the notion of injecting substances into the penis to gain an advantage “sounds extreme” and is not something he believes is happening in the sport.
Last week, two Norwegian ski jumping coaches and the team’s suit technician were suspended for 18 months by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) for allegedly manipulating suits during the world championship last year.
FIS investigators found 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, and a suit technician were caught on video inserting illegal non-elastic stitching into the crotch area of the suits belonging to two key members of the squad.
The post Ski jumping rocked by ‘penis-gate’ claims athletes manipulated genitals for aerodynamic edge appeared first on New York Post.
