Latest news with #MariusLindvik
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Ski jumping''s suit-cheating saga rolls on as 5 Norwegians are charged over ''manipulation''
Oberhofen (Switzerland): Two Olympic gold medalist ski jumpers and three staffers on the dominant Norwegian team have been charged with ethics violations by the International Ski Federation after an investigation into alleged tampering with ski suits. 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.'
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Suited and booted: ski jumpers disqualified as kit chaos returns to sport
Ski jumping has become mired in more controversy with six months to go until the Winter Olympics, after the first high-level competition of the new season was marred by numerous athletes being disqualified over ill‑fitting suits. The governing body said it was 'perfectly normal'. The sport was rocked in March by the discovery of illegally altered suits on the Norwegian team at the world championships. The International Ski Federation investigated officials and athletes over those changes that could help the wearer to soar through the air for longer thanks to the suit's larger surface area. On Monday, the Olympic gold medallists Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, and three staff members on the Norway men's team, were charged with ethics violation as part of an investigation into 'equipment manipulation'. Lindvik's gold medal in the men's normal hill event at the Trondheim world championships, and Norway's bronze in the men's team event on the large hill, are at risk. On Saturday at the first event of the 2025-26 season – a summer Grand Prix event on an artificial surface in France – six male ski jumpers were also disqualified because of suit issues such as waist size and three more were 'not permitted to start'. Another jumper from Japan was blocked from competing as the Grand Prix continued on Sunday. The federation confirmed it is treating the spate of disqualifications as the natural result of tightening up the rules after the Norwegian suit scandal. The FIS race director, Sandro Pertile, said he did not think anyone was trying to cheat and that fewer disqualifications would occur as teams became accustomed to the rules. Making specialised ski jumping equipment is 'a fairly complicated matter', he said. 'It's perfectly normal for teams to need some time to adapt to the new situation after such comprehensive changes to the equipment regulations. Some cope with it straight away, others find it difficult at first,' Pertile said. 'It's also important to highlight that these disqualifications are clearly a result of technical inadequacies – there's no sign whatsoever of ill intent from the teams.' The FIS indicated that a further nine men and five women did not compete after a 'technical approval' process, though it was not clear if all of those cases involved their suits. Five of those 14 were on the USA team, which did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Among those disqualified on Saturday was Norway's Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal, who had previously been provisionally suspended this year after the world championships. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion The FIS indicated it will remain rigorous in its checks through the Olympic season but expects to find athletes wearing increasingly snug, and therefore legal, suits. 'The teams know that they have our full support, and we expect the number of disqualifications to decrease significantly in the coming weeks,' Pertile said. 'With that said, we will remain strict and precise with equipment check the whole season long; there is no room for exceptions.'
National Post
17 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Norwegians charged over 'manipulation' in ski jumping's suit-cheating saga
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. Article content The International Ski and Snowboard Federation said star ski jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre 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. Article content Article content Illegally modified suits can help athletes fly further with more aerodynamic resistance. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content '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. Article content 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. Article content The alterations could be confirmed only by tearing apart the seams of the crotch area on the Norwegian ski suits. Article content 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. Article content
Washington Post
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Ski jumping's suit-cheating saga rolls on as 5 Norwegians are charged over 'manipulation'
OBERHOFEN, Switzerland — 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.
Toronto Star
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Ski jumping's suit-cheating saga rolls on as 5 Norwegians are charged over ‘manipulation'
OBERHOFEN, Switzerland (AP) — Two Olympic gold medalist ski jumpers and three staffers on the dominant Norwegian team have been charged with ethics violations by the International Ski Federation after an investigation into alleged tampering with ski suits. 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.'
