Reportedly, ski jumpers with artificially enlarged genitalia can glide farther than their competitors
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is investigating an unusual scheme where ski jumpers are alleged to have injected hyaluronic acid into their penises to achieve longer jumps at the Winter Olympics.
German tabloid Bild reported last month that some athletes are said to have used hyaluronic acid injections on their genitalia prior to being measured for their tight-fitting competition suits ahead of this year’s Winter Olympics. The logic here is that a larger suit creates more aerodynamic lift, thereby extending the athlete’s jump distance.
At a press conference ahead of the Milan Winter Olympics on Thursday, WADA Director-General Olivier Niggli stated he had no knowledge of any performance-enhancing tactics involving genital enlargement. However, he added that his organization would “certainly look into whether this practice falls into that category.”
Bild did not name any athletes suspected of altering their genitalia but claimed acid injections are just one of several methods jumpers use to temporarily enlarge their penises before measurement.
Prior to competitions, ski jumpers strip to their underwear and undergo 3D body scanning for suit tailoring. The scanner measures crotch height, so artificially enhanced athletes end up with suits featuring a lower crotch seam. Once swelling subsides and their penis returns to normal size, they are left with a looser suit that generates extra lift.
Just as a sugar glider uses its membrane to glide between trees, an athlete in a looser suit can leverage extra fabric to jump farther than rivals. A study in the scientific journal Frontiers found that two extra centimeters in suit circumference increases lift by 5%, extending jump length by over five meters.
According to Bild, some athletes wrap their genitalia in foam or wear silicone-filled condoms to measurement appointments. These tricks, however, are easier to detect.
Defending Olympic champion Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, both Norwegian, received three-month suspensions after last year’s world championships when it emerged their coaches adjusted suit crotch seams to gain a lift advantage.
Both will compete at this year’s Winter Olympics, which start on Friday. Men’s ski jumping events begin on Monday.