Credi: Google
In the game of ski jumping, an unethical practice has led to two greats of the games, Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, charged with violation of competition and ethics. Illegally modified suits, designed to increase surface area and enhance aerodynamics, can provide athletes with an unfair advantage by allowing them to fly further in the sport. After a whistleblower secretly filmed them rigging their suits, the footage, showing suits being altered in a hotel room, was leaked to international media. The video has prompted formal protest from the ski-jumping fraternity.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced ethics and competition violation charges against two Norwegian Olympic gold medalists, Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, along with three team officials. The alleged charges reportedly stem from allegations of illegal tampering with ski suits during the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships held in Trondheim, Norway, in March just after their podium finish at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Sapporo, Japan. The accusations, supported by video evidence and confessions from team staff, have raised questions about fair play in the sport, just six months before the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo.
We have tried to cheat the system: Norwegian Ski Federation
The FIS confirmed on Monday that Lindvik, Forfang, head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben, and equipment manager Adrian Livelten face charges for “equipment manipulation” after an investigation revealed deliberate alterations to ski suits used in the men’s large hill event. The Norwegian Ski Federation also admitted to the violations shortly after the championships with Brevik and Livelten reportedly confessing to sewing reinforced threads into the suits to improve stability and flight distance. “We have tried to cheat the system. That is unacceptable,” said Jan-Erik Aalbu, general manager of the Norwegian Ski Federation, during a press conference.
Marius Lindvik, 27, who won gold in the normal hill event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Johann Andre Forfang, 30, a team gold and individual silver medalist at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, have reportedly denied knowledge of the tampering.
“These World Championships were supposed to be a week of dreams, but instead, they ended in tragedy,” Forfang wrote on Instagram, insisting he was unaware of the suit alterations. Lindvik reportedly called the situation a “nightmare”, echoing his teammate’s claim of innocence. Reports claim that the FIS investigation, which included 38 witness interviews and 88 pieces of evidence, concluded there was sufficient grounds to charge both athletes alongside the three staff members.
