The Winter Olympics’ ski jumping event has a history of courting controversy after five female athletes were previously banned over their outfits
Ski jumping routinely features as one of the most highly anticipated events at any Winter Olympics. However, the 2022 edition of the Games was marred by controversy when five female jumpers were disqualified over their outfit choices.
Regulations over ski jumpsuits are tightly enforced by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Rules are in place to ensure suits are made of the right materials and dimensions, allowing for a maximum of two to four centimetres of fabric over the body in order to guarantee they don’t allow aerodynamic advantages.
Due to past controversy, 3D scanners have even been brought in to ensure athletes aren’t in breach of these rules. But four years ago in Beijing, several still were.
Too many jumpers were found to have suits that didn’t comply with regulations in the last Winter Olympics. No fewer than five women’s competitors were deemed to be wearing suits that were too loose, and they were banned from taking part in the mixed team event as a result.
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Germany’s Katharina Althaus was among those who fell afoul of the judges, along with the Norwegian duo of Silje Opseth and Anna Odine Stroem. That’s in addition to Japan’s Sara Takanashi and Austria’s Daniela Iraschko-Stolz.
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Each of Althaus, Iraschko-Stolz and Takanashi were disqualified from their opening-round runs and had their scores scrubbed. Meanwhile, Opseth and Odine Stroem were disqualified from the final in a development that crushed Norway’s medal prospects in the team event.
“A test of the suits had been offered by the FIS competition management to all teams before the competitions,” the FIS told PEOPLE magazine at the time. “Only a few teams took this opportunity.
“The used suits that led to the disqualifications were too big and offered an aerodynamic advantage to the athlete. There was no official protest by a team against any of the disqualifications.”
Despite the fact the FIS said there were no formal objections, Althaus railed against the decision publicly. The German ranted that the FIS had “destroyed women’s ski jumping” with its decision, while Opseth apologised but called the judgement “very strange.”
It had a particularly damaging impact on Norway’s medal chances considering male team-mates Robert Johansson and Marius Lindvik registered top scores that could have led to gold had their female counterparts followed suit. Odine Stroem has since gone on to claim two gold medals and a silver at this year’s Games.
The 2026 competition hasn’t been without its controversy, either, after reports alleging male athletes were receiving penis-enlarging procedures with hyaluronic acid to increase wind resistance. One plastic surgeon even went so far as to confirm he had given a ski jumper this very treatment ahead of the Olympics, though he wouldn’t reveal their identity.
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“Regarding the news in question, I did in fact treat an athlete from that sport, whose name and nationality I will obviously not disclose, nor whether he is participating in these Olympics,” Alessandro Littara told USA TODAY Sports when asked about what is being dubbed ‘penis-gate’.
“However, I can say that I treated him last month and used a generous dose of hyaluronic acid. I cannot say whether he told me the whole truth. But in any case, we did a good job and implanted a more than generous dose of hyaluronic acid.”
