Some people will do anything in their quest to grab the gold, but according to some, athletes at the Winter Olympics 2026 are taking this to the extreme by enhancing their bodies in a particularly NSFW way to claim the top spot.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has addressed some weird and wonderful claims over the course of its 26-year existence, but the idea that skiers are injecting their penises with acid to get a jump on the competition could be the craziest yet.
In 2025, Norway medalists Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang were slapped with three-month suspensions, while head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben, and staff member Adrian Livelten were all given 18-month bans amid a scandal where they were found guilty of adjusting the seams in ski suits at the 2025 World Ski Championships.
Focusing on the crotch area, the team was said to have been altering seams to make the suits of ski jumpers larger, and therefore, increasing wingspan.
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German newspaper Bild was the first to report on an evolution of this scandal, with claims that jumpers have been injecting acid into their manhood or putting clay into their underwear to temporarily make themselves 'bigger' and get larger suits.
It's said that even 2cm of a suit reduces drag by 4% and increases lift by 5%, meaning that size sometimes really does matter. A 2cm can add an extra 5.8 meters to a jump's length, so it's a serious game.
Bild included a quote from Dr. Kamran Karim, who alleged: "It is possible to achieve a temporary, visual thickening of the penis by injecting paraffin or hyaluronic acid. Such an injection is not medically indicated and is associated with risks."
Things quickly escalated, with WADA president Witold Banka confirming that the organization would investigate. Although he had a smile on his face, Banka said: "Ski jumping is very popular in Poland [his home country], so I promise you I’m going to look at it."
While people continue to chuckle about the idea of ski jumpers injecting their Johnsons to get a few more inches in a very different department, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation is taking 'Penisgate' very seriously.
According to the Associated Press, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has spoken out and debunked this 'wild' rumor. FIS spokesman Bruno Sassi told outlet: "This wild rumor started off a few weeks ago from pure hearsay.
"There has never been any indication, let alone evidence, that any competitor has ever made use of a hyaluronic acid injection to attempt to gain a competitive advantage."
Even though the Bild article largely flew under the radar, Olivier Niggli, WADA's Director General, has been blamed for bringing it to the attention of the world. Whereas Banka saw the lighter side of the news, Niggli suggested the organization wouldn't get involved when he said: "If anything was to come to the surface, we would look at anything and if it is doping related. We don’t do other means of enhancing performance."
When asked for clarification, WADA spokesperson James Fitzgerald told AP that hyaluronic acid isn't on the list of banned substances, while the FIS would have to deal with suit-related issues.
In the aftermath of the drama with the Norwegian team, the FIS introduced more rigorous analysis, which included checks before and after jumps, as well as improved 3D measurements that are said to evaluate athletes in their uniforms, and even suits being embedded with microchips to prevent manipulation.
There are obvious dangers with injecting anything into your members, although by all accounts, this could be one rumor that's been exaggerated more than men typically tend to exaggerate the size of their penises.