Latest news with #Marius Lindvik
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Olympic medallists facing ban after being charged with CHEATING in bizarre controversy
Two Olympic ski jumping medallists are facing a potential ban after being charged with cheating in a controversial case that could affect their participation at next year's Milan Cortina Games. Olympic champion Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, bronze medallist at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, had their ski suits tampered with and were caught during the World Championships in Norway in March. An investigation by the International Ski Federation, the sport's worldwide governing body, alleges the Norwegian athletes' teams had broken the rules by reinforcing the thread in their jumpsuits in an attempt to create more lift in the air. Lindvik and Forfang had been disqualified from the men's large hill competition following an equipment inspection at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim. Jan-Erik Aalbu, the Norwegian ski federation's general manager, admitted they had 'tried to cheat the system' in a scandal which sent shockwaves through the country, which prides itself on its success in winter sports. Head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and service staff member Adrian Livelten have also been charged. The two athletes' ski suits had allegedly been tampered with in a scandal that has sent shockwaves through sport in Norway Lindvik and Forfang were both provisionally suspended pending the investigation, which has now concluded. Their exact punishments are not yet known but the charges come with less than six months until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Aalbu now claims the two athletes were unaware of the tampering. 'We have listened to our athletes and believe them when they say they did not know about the manipulation of the ski suits,' Aalbu said.
CNN
3 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Ski jumping's suit-cheating saga rolls on as 5 Norwegians are charged over ‘manipulation'
Two Olympic gold medalist ski jumpers and three staffers on the powerful Norway men's team were charged with ethics violations Monday after an investigation into alleged tampering with ski suits at the world championships. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation said star ski jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, two coaches and a member of the service staff were formally charged as part of an investigation into 'equipment manipulation' at the Nordic worlds Norway hosted in March. Illegally modified suits can help athletes fly further with more aerodynamic resistance. The allegations – backed by video footage and quick confessions by team officials – shook the tight-knit communities of ski jumping and Norwegian sports when they emerged on the final weekend in Trondheim. No timetable was given for hearings or verdicts in a case that intensifies less than six months before the next Winter Olympics open in northern Italy. Bans, fines and disqualification of results are on the slate of punishments open to the FIS Ethics Committee, the governing body said in a statement. Lindvik's gold medal in the men's normal hill event at the worlds held in Trondheim, plus Norway's bronze in the men's team event on the large hill are clearly at risk. 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. Lindvik and Forfang, who both were in the team that took bronze, denied involvement in March though were disqualified from the individual large hill event and suspended by FIS for the rest of the season. Their charges were signed off by the FIS ruling council, the governing body said. The 27-year-old Lindvik has been expected to defend his Olympic title next year in the men's large hill event at the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Games. Forfang, now 30, took team gold on the large hill and individual silver on the normal hill at the 2018 Olympics held in South Korea. Admissions of guilt were made in March by head coach Magnus Brevik and equipment manager Adrian Livelten, who said 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 at the time. A third team staffer, Thomas Lobben, also is now charged. The manipulation was to increase the size of suits pre-approved and microchipped by FIS, and was captured on secretly filmed footage. It led to formal protests from the Austria, Slovenia and Poland teams. The alterations could be confirmed only by tearing apart the seams of the crotch area on the Norwegian ski suits. The case will be judged by three members of the ethics panel which must reach verdicts 'no later than 30 days after the hearing process is concluded,' FIS said. 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.'
Fox News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
2 Olympic gold medalists accused of ethic violations in Norway's ski suit controversy
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.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Norwegian ski jumpers charged over 'cheat' suits
Two Norwegian ski jumpers and three team officials have been charged following allegations of tampering with ski suits, the sport's governing body has medallists Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang have been charged with equipment manipulation in the men's large hill event at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, in head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and service staff member Adrian Livelten have also been charged following an International Ski Federation (FIS) at the time, FIS general manager Jan-Erik Aalbu said the team had "tried to cheat the system" by putting reinforced thread in the jumpsuits of Lindvik and 27, had originally finished second in the men's large hill event while 30-year-old compatriot Forfang came fourth, but both were disqualified after an equipment duo, plus Brevik, Lobben and Livelten were all provisionally suspended in March pending an FIS has not said when its ethics committee would issue a ruling, with the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina starting in on Monday, Aalbu said Lindvik and Forfang were unaware of the reinforced thread and questioned the decision to charge them."We have listened to our athletes and believe them when they say they did not know about the manipulation of the ski suits," Aalbu said."There is no evidence that they were aware of the manipulation that took place. We therefore disagree with FIS's assessment that there are grounds to bring a case against Forfang and Lindvik, but we respect the process."Lindvik won gold in the men's large hill individual at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, while Forfang claimed a silver medal at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang in the normal hill individual.
CNA
4 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Ski jumping-Norway ski jumpers charged over alleged suit tampering
Norway's Olympic gold medallist ski jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang plus three team officials have been charged with ethics and competition violations following allegations of tampering with ski suits, the International Ski Federation (FIS) said on Monday. Lindvik and Forfang, together with two coaches and a service staff member, face charges of equipment manipulation in the men's large hill event at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, in March after an FIS investigation. Lindvik finished second but was denied the silver medal having been disqualified following an equipment inspection along with compatriot Forfang who came fourth. The Norwegian Ski Federation admitted shortly after the competition that the team had manipulated the suits but said the ski jumpers were not at fault for the violations. Norway's then-head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and service staff member Adrian Livelten were also been charged by the FIS, having been provisionally suspended along with Lindvik and Forfang in March. The FIS did not say when its ethics committee would issue a ruling, with the Milano-Cortina Olympics starting in six months' time. Lindvik had been tipped to retain his men's Olympic large hill title at next year's Games. Forfang won the large hill team gold and normal hill individual silver at the 2018 Olympics. JUMPERS DEFENDED The head of Norway's ski jumping team Jan-Erik Aalbu said he was surprised by the decision to charge Lindvik, 27, and 30-year-old Forfang. "We have listened to our athletes and believe them when they say they did not know about the manipulation of the ski suits," Aalbu said in a press release from the federation. "There is no evidence that they were aware of the manipulation that took place. We therefore disagree with FIS's assessment that there are grounds to bring a case against Forfang and Lindvik, but we respect the process." Brevik and Livelten apologised in March for modifying the jumpsuits that led to the initial suspensions. "... they chose to put a reinforced thread in the jumpsuit of Forfang and Lindvik," Aalbu told a press conference in March. "This was done knowing that this is not within the regulations, but with a belief that it would not be discovered by FIS's equipment controller.
