Norwegian jumper defends himself after scandal at the World Championships. Released a statement

Norwegian jumper defends himself after scandal at the World Championships. Released a statement

Originally published in Przegląd Sportowy on March 10, 2025

Johann Andre Forfang spoke out following his disqualification during the World Championships in Trondheim. The Norwegian, who claimed he had no idea about the inappropriate suit he was wearing, added a statement on Instagram on Monday. He emphasized again that he was not aware of any rule violations.

"To the entire ski jumping family, fans, partners, and teammates. I am completely devastated. These World Championships were supposed to be the fulfillment of my dreams, but instead, they ended tragically. The most important thing for me is to highlight that I was never aware that my suit had been manipulated. I always trusted the members of the team who worked hard to ensure our equipment was competitive. This time the boundaries were crossed," Forfang stated on Instagram.

The jumping head of the Norwegian Ski Federation (NSF), Jan-Erik Aalbu, confirmed at a press conference on Sunday that his coaching staff was cheating. He took responsibility for the situation.

He stressed that according to the information he received, during the World Championships in classical skiing, the suits were improperly changed only before Saturday's large hill competition, and only Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang used them. Robert Johansson and Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal had different suits on. Now Forfang has spoken out.

Forfang once again stressed the importance of following the rules, indicating that he had not used the suit until then, and he considered the incident heartbreaking not just for him but for everyone who loves the sport.