Ski jumping's suit-cheating saga rolls on as 5 Norwegians are charged over 'manipulation'
The FIS said Monday that star ski jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, two coaches and a member of the service staff were charged under ethics and competition rules following an investigation into 'equipment manipulation.'
The allegations first emerged around the world championships in Norway in March and shook the tight-knit ski jumping community. Illegally modified suits could help athletes to fly further.
The charges come six months before the Winter Olympics. FIS said its ethics committee will rule on the charges and could impose bans or fines. It didn't say how soon a ruling is expected.
FIS said the investigation conducted 38 witness interviews and examined 88 pieces of evidence, and that no one else will be charged in the case.
FIS has already tightened up its rules on ski jump suits, something which caused a spate of disqualifications when athletes gathered for the first competition of the new season Saturday. FIS said that was down to technical issues and it didn't suspect 'ill intent.'
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A ski jumping suit controversy engulfed Norway and led to charges against five members of the country's team, including two gold medalists, the sport's federation announced on Monday. Marius Lindvik, Johann Andre Forfang, two coaches and a service staff member were charged as part of an investigation into "equipment manipulation" at the Nordic world championships in March, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) said. Each person was charged with ethic violations over the alleged tampering. Illegally modified suits can help ski jumpers fly further with more aerodynamic resistance. Lindvik won a gold medal in the men's normal hill event at the world championships, while Norway took home the bronze for the men's team event on the large hill. Both awards are in jeopardy. The FIS gave no timetable for hearings or verdicts in the case. The governing body said that bans, fines and disqualifications of results are among the punishments that could be levied. The organization said it conducted interviews with 38 witnesses and examined 88 pieces of evidence in the case. Norway head coach Magnus Brevik and equipment manager Adrian Livelten previously confessed to the tampering, saying the suits were altered only before the men's large hill event. "We regret it like dogs, and I'm terribly sorry that this happened," Brevik said in March. Lindvik and Forfang were both on the team that took home the bronze medal in the world championships. The FIS disqualified both of them from the individual large hill event and were suspended. Both denied involvement in the alleged scheme. It's unclear what Lindvik and Forfang's statuses will be for the 2026 Olympics in Italy. Lindvik, 27, won a gold medal in the individual men's large hill event at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Forfang, 30, won a gold medal in the men's team long hill event and a silver in the individual men's normal hill event at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.
