Anti-doping chiefs are looking into the extraordinary claim that some male Winter Olympics athletes have been injecting acid into their penises. It comes ahead of the Games getting underway in northern Italy, with the opening ceremony in Milan taking place on Friday.
The claims relate to ski jumpers taking part in the 2026 edition of the Winter Olympics, with suggestions that the bizarre doping practice could enhance performance. Ski jumpers are subjected to 3D scanners that measure their body suits, as any excess material could help athletes fly through the air faster.
Experts say extra material can create the effect of a wind sail, which in turn can lengthen the distance of a jump by close to six metres. But reports from German outlet Bild claim that athletes might’ve found an alternative way to cheat the system by artificially extending the length of their manhood.
It says that concerns have been raised about ski jumpers injecting hyaluronic acid into their genitals in an attempt to make them grow beyond their normal size. A bigger bulge, means a bigger suit, which could in turn lead to a bigger jump.
Addressing the claims, Dr Kamran Karim told Bild: “It is possible to achieve a temporary, visual thickening of the penis by injecting paraffin or hyaluronic acid. However, this does not lengthen it. Such an injection is not medically indicated and is associated with risks.”
While there have been no verifiable examples of this occurring, the director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Olivier Niggli, said: “I’m not aware of the details of ski jumping — and how this can improve — but if anything was to come to the surface we would look at anything if it is actually doping-related. We don’t do other means of enhancing performance but our list committee would certainly look into whether this would fall into this category.”
It comes after a scandal involving the Norwegian team at last year’s World Championship surfaced, with two athletes handed hefty bans for their involvement. Defending Olympic large hill ski jump champion Marius Lindvik and two-time medallist Johann Andre Forfang were banned for having suits with enlarged crotch regions.
It was later found that the athletes were unaware of the tampering, with coaching trio Magnus Brevik, Thomas Lobben and Adrian Livelten all banned as well. The first training sessions for the Olympic ski jumpers take place on Friday at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium.