Ski jumping scandal: Norway under suspicion of fraud - World Cup shocked!

Ski jumping scandal: Norway under suspicion of fraud - World Cup shocked!

Trondheim, Norwegen - A solid scandal shakes the Norwegian ski jumping! The International Ski Federation (FIS) has excluded the two Norwegian ski jumper Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang from all competitions for illegal manipulation of their diving suits. According to recent allegations, this was done that the two athletes are involved in a systematic fraud. According to Kleine Zeitung , the suits were confiscated at the Nordic World Championships and are now to be examined in detail. The scandal came to light when anonymously published videos from the sewing egg of the Norwegian team revealed that inadmissible changes to the suits were made.

Jan Erik Aalbu, the sports director, confessed that the suits of Lindvik and Forfang were knowingly changed and publicly apologized to the other teams, sponsors and fans. In his speech, Aalbu confirmed that he knew nothing about these practices, but made it clear that the manipulation of the suits only took place for one event. For many in the ski jumper community, this is not credible, as Badische Zeitung reported. The Austrian coach Andreas Widhölzl said that the manipulation of the suits had inadmissibly stabilized the jumper and thus obtained a competitive advantage, which was considered comparable to doping.

reactions and consequences

The reactions to this scandal are devastating. The teammates, rivals and officials express their angry about the incidents. Horst Hüttel, sports director of the Germans, spoke of "scandalous behavior". Athletes like Andreas Wellinger are frustrated and feel cheated in the competition for the gold for probably the largest price. The scandal not only throws a shadow on the achievements of the Norwegian ski jumper, but also questions the confidence in FIS. Many are now calling for a rigorous approach, including the cancellation of all Norwegian results in the title fights in Trondheim. The FIS therefore faces one of the greatest challenges in its history.