Norwegian Ski Jumpers Charged over Tampering with Suits
11th August 2025
Last modified on August 15th, 2025
Two Norwegian ski jumpers and three team officials have been charged following allegations of tampering with their ski suits. UPDATED
The Olympic medallists Marius Lindvik, 27, and Johann Andre Forfang, 30, have been charged with equipment manipulation in the men’s large hill event at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim in Norway last March.
The then head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and service staff member Adrian Livelten have also been charged following an investigation by the International Ski Federation, FIS.
We reported on the incident at the time on PlanetSKI:
Lindvik won gold in the men’s large hill individual at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, while Forfang took a silver medal at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang in the normal hill individual.
It’s alleged that reinforced thread was added to the jumpsuits of Lindvik and Forfang at the World Ski Championships.
Lindvikhad originally came second in the men’s large hill event while Forfang finished fourth.
They were disqualified after an equipment inspection.
FIS has not said when its ethics committee would issue a ruling, with the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina starting in February.
“We have listened to our athletes and believe them when they say they did not know about the manipulation of the ski suits,” said the head of the Norwegian ski jumping team, Jan-Erik Aalbu.
“There is no evidence that they were aware of the manipulation that took place.
“We therefore disagree with FIS’s assessment that there are grounds to bring a case against Forfang and Lindvik, but we respect the process.”
The FIS did not say when its ethics committee would issue a ruling.
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics takes place next February.
Ski Jumping. Image c/o PlanetSKI
The first event of the 2025-26 season, a summer Grand Prix event on an artificial surface in Courchevel in France, took place last weekend.
Six male ski jumpers were disqualified because of suit issues such as waist size and three more were not permitted to start.
Another jumper from Japan was blocked from competing.
FIS said in a statement that it is treating the spate of disqualifications as the natural result of tightening up the rules after the Norwegian suit scandal.
The FIS race director, Sandro Pertile, said he doesn’t think anyone was trying to cheat and that fewer disqualifications will occur as teams get used to the rules.
Making specialised ski jumping equipment is “a fairly complicated matter,” he said.
FIS said it will remain rigorous in its checks through the Olympic season.
“The teams know that they have our full support, and we expect the number of disqualifications to decrease significantly in the coming weeks,” Pertile added.
“With that said, we will remain strict and precise with equipment check the whole season long.
“There is no room for exceptions.”
In separate news the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup event scheduled to take place in Lake Placid, USA, this December has been cancelled and relocated to Klingenthal in Germany.
The Olympic Jumping Complex at Lake Placid needs unexpected and extensive repairs.
The event was to be the only North American stop on the 2025-2026 World Cup.
A recent inspection revealed damage to the steel supports of the observation deck on the HS128 Large Hill.
While the jump itself remains structurally sound the necessary repair work will block the route athletes use to access the top of the run.
“The Olympic Authority remains fully committed to ski jumping in Lake Placid and to maintaining world-class facilities that meet the highest standards of international competition,” said Darcy Norfolk Rowe, ORDA’s Communications Director.
“While relocating this year’s World Cup is a difficult but necessary decision, we look forward to completing these improvements and welcoming the world back to future World Cup events after construction.”
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