Norway's Olympic Ski Jumpers Charged with Tampering Allegations.

Norway's Olympic gold medalist ski jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, along with three team officials, have been charged with ethics and competition violations for allegedly tampering with ski suits during the World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway. The charges relate to the men's large hill event in March, where Lindvik was disqualified and Forfang finished fourth. The FIS investigation found evidence of equipment manipulation, and the case is now in the hands of the FIS ethics committee. The Milano-Cortina Olympics are set to start in six months' time.

Norway's Olympic gold medalist ski jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, along with three team officials, have been charged with ethics and competition violations for allegedly tampering with ski suits during the World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway. The charges relate to the men's large hill event in March, where Lindvik was disqualified and Forfang finished fourth. The FIS investigation found evidence of equipment manipulation, and the case is now in the hands of the FIS ethics committee. The Milano-Cortina Olympics are set to start in six months' time.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced the charges on Monday, August 11, 2025. The charges include equipment manipulation and potential violations of FIS rules. The FIS investigation conducted 38 witness interviews and examined 88 pieces of evidence, leading to the charges against Lindvik, Forfang, head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben, and service staff member Adrian Livelten [1].

Lindvik, who was expected to defend his Olympic title next year in the men's large hill event, was disqualified from the individual large hill event and suspended by FIS for the rest of the season. Forfang, who took team gold on the large hill and individual silver on the normal hill at the 2018 Olympics, was also disqualified from the individual large hill event [2].

The manipulation involved altering the size of the ski suits to increase their aerodynamic resistance, which was captured on secretly filmed footage. The alterations could only be confirmed by tearing apart the seams of the crotch area on the Norwegian ski suits. 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" [1].

The FIS has already tightened up its rules on ski jump suits, leading to a spate of disqualifications when athletes gathered for the first competition of the new season. FIS stated that these disqualifications were due to technical issues and did not suspect "ill intent" [1].

Norway's ski jumping team head Jan-Erik Aalbu expressed surprise at the decision to charge Lindvik and Forfang, stating that the athletes were unaware of the manipulation. He believes that the FIS's assessment that there are grounds to bring a case against Forfang and Lindvik is incorrect [2].

The case has intensified the scrutiny of Norway's ski jumping team and raised questions about the integrity of the sport. The outcome of the case will have significant implications for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

References:
[1] https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/45943068/5-norwegians-charged-tampering-ski-suits
[2] https://www.reuters.com/sports/ski-jumping-norway-ski-jumpers-charged-over-alleged-suit-tampering-2025-08-11/