NORWAY: According to the Norwegian Ski Federation, Norway’s ski jumping team deliberately cheated by using altered jumpsuits at the Nordic World Ski Championships, which led to the disqualification of two of their competitors during Saturday’s event.
With this issue, Norway Ski Federation general manager Jan-Erik Aalbu said in a press conference: “The support system has explained that on Friday, they chose to put a reinforced thread in the jumpsuit of Forfang and Lindvik… 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.”
“The way I consider this. We have cheated. We have tried to cheat the system. That is unacceptable.”
Athletes Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang were disqualified from the men’s large hill competition, while Joergen Graabak was also disqualified from Friday’s Nordic Combined team event, although this was due to an issue with his bindings.
Lindvik, who had finished second, was stripped of his silver medal following his disqualification after an equipment inspection. Moreover, his teammate Forfang, who finished fourth, was also out.
Suit manipulations
Race director Sandro Pertile explained that they had received prior information about possible suit manipulations and an official protest from three nations. While the initial check did not reveal anything unusual, organizers later found different material in the seams after the race.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced that its Independent Ethics and Compliance Office had now launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disqualifications.
Aalbu added: “I welcome the fact that FIS is now also opening an investigation, and of course, we will cooperate fully with them.”
He also clarified that the cheating was only related to the Saturday event. He stated: “There is no indication that this form of manipulation has been used earlier in the season or in this championship.”
“I have been working again with the support system last night and throughout the day, that this was only, if you can use that word, two suits. Saturday’s competition, and nothing earlier in the championship…. I would like to use the situation to underline the seriousness of this matter. We have cheated.”
“I would therefore like to apologise on behalf of the ski jumping camp to the other nations, the audience, everyone who has met at the arena, FIS and to the organisers.”