Controversy erupts over cheating accusations in ski jumping
A former Olympic ski jumping medallist has levelled accusations of “deliberate cheating” at the Austrian team during the ongoing 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, reports BritPanorama.
Johan Remen Evensen, who claimed bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, made the explosive claim following the disqualification of Austrian competitor Daniel Tschofenig from the men’s large hill event. Tschofenig was removed from competition after officials discovered his boots exceeded permitted dimensions by four millimetres.
The Austrian athlete had posted a score of 137.7 in the opening round before being informed of his disqualification, with Slovakia’s Hektor Kapustik subsequently taking his place in the competition. While Tschofenig has attributed the incident to a “naive” error made under pressure, Evensen remains unconvinced by this explanation.
The Norwegian believes the rule breach was far more calculated, suggesting the Austrian squad intentionally pushed boundaries to secure a competitive edge. Evensen has accused Austria of employing “every trick in the book” in their pursuit of success at the Games.
Tschofenig, who holds the 2025 World Cup title, acknowledged he had worn new footwear during training sessions and failed to verify their measurements beforehand. The Austrian and his national team have insisted the violation was simply an oversight rather than any attempt to circumvent regulations.
Evensen was unequivocal in his criticism of the Austrian approach, stating, “Being disqualified for wearing shoes that are too big is a clear violation of the rules.” He added, “It’s obvious that the Austrians are desperate and are trying every trick in the book. Rules are rules. As long as they are enforced for everyone, that’s fine.”
Tschofenig offered a more contrite assessment of the situation, saying, “I used new shoes in training which, by the way, I wasn’t very happy with, but I kept them. Unfortunately, I was naive and didn’t measure it. Extremely stupid of me; there was just so much stress going on. But rules are rules.”
The boot controversy forms part of a wider debate about equipment manipulation that has overshadowed the ski jumping programme at these Games. Speculation has circulated that some male competitors have undergone hyaluronic acid injections to their genitals, with the theory being that increased bulk would permit larger suits, thereby improving aerodynamic performance.
These claims resurfaced this week when an American medical practitioner stated he had performed such a procedure on a ski jumper. “I did in fact treat an athlete from that sport, whose name and nationality I will obviously not disclose, nor whether he is participating in these Olympics,” the doctor said. “However, I can say that I treated him last month and used a generous dose of hyaluronic acid.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency indicated prior to the Games that it had no knowledge of any athletes undergoing such procedures but would respond appropriately should evidence emerge.
With accusations of cheating firmly in the limelight, the integrity of ski jumping hangs in the balance, starkly illustrating the lengths to which athletes might go in pursuit of Olympic glory.
