Ski Jumping: Comes Forward After Scandal: "Completely Crushed"

Originally published in SVT Sport on March 10, 2023

Ski Jumping: Comes Forward After Scandal: "Completely Crushed"

Norwegian ski jumpers Johann Forfang and Marius Lindvik made a shocking statement for the first time after their disqualification during the ski jumping World Championships. Lindvik had initially appeared to take a silver medal, with Forfang finishing fifth in the same event held in Trondheim.

However, the duo was disqualified following revelations that they had manipulated their suits during the competition.

In a joint statement, they expressed, "We are completely crushed. None of us would have competed with suits that we knew were rigged, never."

They further acknowledged that they bear significant responsibility in this matter, saying, "We have a responsibility to ensure that the suits fit properly, but we did not have any procedures in place for such a situation. We need to learn from this and strive for complete transparency about what has happened. We look forward to discussing this with FIS (International Ski Federation)."

FIS has opened an investigation, and the federation's ethical committee will take primary responsibility for the inquiry. Sports chief Jan-Erik Aalbu condemned the actions, stating, "It is unacceptable."