The ski jumping event of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games is now in the spotlight after the world anti-doping agency said it would be on the lookout for evidence of manipulation... particularly in the crotch area of their suits.
The ski jumping event of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games has certainly gotten extra attention... but not because of how far the athletes can glide.
Eyes will be on their uniforms, their crotch area in particular.
And maybe one question will be answered: Does size really matter?
Here's an explainer on the eyebrow-raising issue on alleged penis-enhancement claims over ski uniforms.
Why is penis enhancement supposedly an issue in the Winter Olympics?
German newspaper Bild reportedly raised fears that some male ski jumpers would attempt to artificially enlarge their penises in a bid to gain aerodynamic advantage.
The newspaper reported on insider talk of athletes injecting hyaluronic acid into their crotch. This would supposedly alter their penis size and get a larger ski jumping suit.
Reuters explained that the crotch of a ski jumper's suit is allowed to run to the bottom of the athlete's genitals, meaning an enlarged penis would give them more potentially performance-enhancing material.
What did the authorities say?
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) was asked to respond to this report a few days before the start of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Director General Olivier Niggli said WADA had no indication such alleged practices were taking place, but the organization would be on the lookout for any evidence on the matter.
"If it is actually doping related - we don't do other means of enhancing performance - but our committee (annually reviewing banned substances) will certainly look to whether it falls into this category," he said in a press conference.
To be clear, the sport's governing FIS sought to dismiss the allegation of penis enhancement as "wild rumor".
The organization said there has "never been any indication, let alone evidence" that the practice was being employed.
Has the issue of suit manipulation occurred before?
Actually, yes.
Two of Norway's Olympic medalists, Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, were suspended for three months in 2025.
Reuters said their team was found to have secretly adjusted seams around the crotch area of the suits during the 2025 World Ski Championships. Three coaching staff members were banned as well.
What does science say?
Elite ski jumpers undergo a full body scan to ensure their skin-tight suits do not have extra material which would give them more lift, Reuters stated.
Even a small addition could go a long way.
A study published by scientific journal Frontiers suggested a small change in fit can have real consequences once an athlete leaves the ramp, with computer modelling showing an extra 2.8 meters in jump length for each extra centimeter of fabric.
"The more surface area they have — the more surface they expose while in the air — the farther they go," Marco Belloli, director of the mechanics department at Milan's Politecnico University, told Reuters.
"Obviously, it’s as if they were a glider, so the greater the wing surface, the farther they can travel.
How did the competitors react?
For the Norwegian ski jumpers, the issue was met with skepticism.
"I do not think we need that kind of attention, and on the women's side we are quite calm about the subject," Norway women's coach Christian Meyer told Reuters.
"I have not seen anything like it, so I am also wondering whether it is true. I actually do not believe it, but if someone is that sick..."
Ski jumper Anna Odine Stroem said the controversy reflected poorly on the sport.
"If it takes something like this to get people watching ski jumping, I do not know what to think. It is sad that we need controversy for people to find our sport endearing or exciting," she said.
"That is not something we want in our sport," Johann Andre Forfang added.
"All interest is good interest, but I wish it came more from what is happening on the hills," fellow Norwegian Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal said.
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, Liz Hampton, Tommy Lund, Ossian Shine, Julien Pretot, Karolos Grohmann, Ursa Presern, Iain Axon, Giselda Vagnoni/Reuters)