A strange and sensitive rumor has gripped a Winter Olympic sport just months before the Games: that some athletes are turning to body-altering injections to gain an edge in equipment checks.

The sport in question is ski jumping. Reports claim a few jumpers may be using hyaluronic acid injections in the penis shortly before measurements are taken, hoping to create a looser suit fit that acts like a small air pocket and helps them fly farther. It is an explosive allegation that touches on athlete safety, fairness, and the sport’s long-running battle with suit rules.

These are rumors, not proven facts. But they are serious enough—and close enough to recent scandals—that the sport’s governing body, FIS, has already moved to rethink how suits are checked and measured.

Why the ‘injection’ rumor matters in ski jumping

In ski jumping, tiny changes in suit fit can make a real difference. The suit must sit between two and four centimeters away from the body at defined points. If it’s too baggy, it can trap air and create lift. If it’s too tight or too short, it can be illegal for other reasons. That delicate balance has made measurements a flashpoint for years.

The whispered tactic here is simple: use a temporary, soft-tissue change to influence the way a suit is measured, win a few extra millimeters of fabric, and convert that into extra flight. In past seasons, there were even stories of athletes using silicone condoms to “buy” margin during checks. Now, the rumor is about hyaluronic acid, a substance used in cosmetic fillers. Again, none of this is confirmed—but the talk alone shows how far some are suspected of going.

“If soft tissue can change a jump, the rules are broken, not the athletes.”

After Norway’s scandal, zero tolerance—on paper

The rumors land in a sport still cleaning up from a major equipment scandal. In March 2025, five Norwegian jumpers and three members of their technical staff were suspended after a video showed suits being altered with a sewing machine in a hotel room. The change—using stiffer thread—boosted stability and buoyancy, a clear violation.

“We manipulated or altered the suits to break the rules,” admitted Magnus Brevig, a leading figure on the Norwegian side. FIS responded with a public zero-tolerance stance on suit modification. Checks tightened. Sanctions became swift. But a rulebook, even a strict one, is only as strong as the tests that enforce it. And that’s where the current controversy lives: how you measure matters as much as what you measure.

Bone, not soft tissue: FIS targets a smarter measurement

FIS equipment manager Matthias Hafele is blunt about the challenge. “Currently no further measurements are planned. However, we are already working on methods to improve this complex problem,” he said, while outlining the long-term fix. “The aim is that the bone structure, and not the soft tissue, should be the determining factor for measurement.”

That shift sounds technical, but it’s easy to grasp. Bones don’t change with hydration, stress, or temperature the way soft tissue does. If measurements are anchored to bony landmarks rather than soft areas, it becomes much harder to game the system—by sewing, by padding, or by any other means.

In short: measure at places that don’t move, and the suit will have to fit the athlete, not the trick of the day.

“Measure bones, not bravado — end the grey areas.”

Flashpoints on the hill: Zajc and the Four Hills

All this has unfolded in a season full of scrutiny. Slovenia’s Timi Zajc, a top-tier jumper, was excluded from the Four Hills Tournament because his suit was ruled too short. That decision showed how strict officials have become—and how unforgiving the rulebook is when teams get the balance wrong.

The Four Hills is a historic, pressure-packed stage. A DQ there is a loud message to the rest of the field: the checks are real, and the risk of getting tossed is high.

The numbers and the stakes

• Suit distance from body: 2–4 cm at specified points.
• Norway suspensions: five jumpers, three technical staff (March 2025).
• World Championships in Trondheim: Feb. 27–Mar. 8, 2025.

The line from Trondheim 2025 to the 2026 Winter Olympics is clear: as the stage gets bigger, so does the scrutiny. Every check, every stitch, every rumor is magnified. That’s why these claims about hyaluronic acid loom so large, even without clear proof.

What the rumor tells us about the sport

First, it shows that athletes and teams believe tiny equipment margins matter—because they do. In a sport where a breath of air can add distance, any extra millimeter matters.

Second, it shows the limits of current testing. If a rumor about soft-tissue manipulation can spread this far, the community is telling FIS the system still has gaps.

Finally, it shows the cost of repeat scandals. Norway’s case, captured on video and ending in suspensions, burned trust. Now, even whispers can shake the room.

“If you need hotel-room sewing or injections to win, it isn’t sport.”

Where FIS goes from here

To its credit, FIS is not standing still. A move toward bone-based measurements addresses the core weakness: soft tissue can be changed; bone cannot. That principle is simple, and it can be applied step by step across the body to make suit checks more consistent and fair.

There’s also a communication job to do. Clearer, faster explanations can calm the storm when a big name is disqualified. When fans and teams understand the “why” behind a call, even a painful one, the sport holds together better.

And there is a message for teams: creative workarounds will be hunted down. Sewing in hotel rooms led to zero tolerance. If the injection rumor ever crosses from talk to evidence, expect the same kind of response—fast, public, and firm.

The bottom line before the 2026 Olympics

The suits are back in the headlines, and not for the right reasons. The reported use of hyaluronic acid injections is unproven, but it highlights a real problem that FIS is trying to solve: measurements that can be bent by soft tissue and human ingenuity.

The fix is on the table: lock checks to bone structure, reduce judgment calls, and close the loopholes. If the sport can do that in time, the 2026 Winter Olympics will be about timing, takeoff, and bravery—not rumors from the locker room.

In ski jumping, the air is everything. The rules need to make sure that’s all anyone is flying on.