Winter Olympics 2026: Why ski jumpers are being watched for 'crotch stuffing'

Ski jumpers at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy will be under the scanner, or more specifically, their crotches. Last year, at the Ski Jumping World Championships in Norway, top athletes were found stuffing their crotches with extra fabric, triggering a major controversy. This led officials to alter rules as a way to ensure no cheating happens. All ski jumpers will be required to put tamper-proof microchips in their suits, and 3D scanning technology will be used to measure the space between their legs. The crotch-enlarging scandal exploded in the skiing world in 2025 when two Norwegian athletes, Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, were found to have stuffed their crotch area with extra fabric. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) suspended both of them for three months. The tampering with the suits boils down to aerodynamics. The sport calls for ski jumpers to speed down a steep ramp, launch into the air, and fly as far as possible before landing. Whoever covers the most distance wins. In this quest, the movement of air around the skier during flight plays a role in deciding how much distance he covers.

Adding fabric to the crotch area in the tight suits increases the surface area, leading them to catch the air in a way that helps with the flight. More fabric around the groin lets them glide longer and cover more distance without falling too quickly. This can help add several more feet to their jump. This play of surface area has led to the rules dictating that the suits are only about two to four centimetres bigger around the skier's body. But the Norwegian team tried to bypass the rule by increasing the area around their crotch. Five coaches, suit technicians, and athletes in the Norway team were handed suspensions after the scandal erupted.

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Why are skiers enlarging their crotch area?

While an increase of a few centimetres might not look like much, a study in October 2025 revealed that adding even one centimetre more fabric to the circumference of a ski jumper's suit could increase their fly by 9.2 feet. But why are skiers only doing this to their crotch? Sören Müller, co-author of the study published in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, said that increasing the circumference of any area will help a skier.

However, a bigger crotch area gives the best aerodynamic advantage. Suits for the Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo have been redesigned in such a way that any loose fabric is only around the arms and the legs. Any skier found manipulating the suits will be penalised, FIS said. "Sanctions will be issued for offences such as violations during 3D measurement, manipulation of chips, and manipulation of the suit after technical approval,' the organisation said in a statement.