Suit Scandal Leaves Superstars "Devastated"

Suit Scandal Leaves Superstars "Devastated"

Norways ski jumping stars Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang have denied deliberately jumping with manipulated suits at the Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim. In a statement from the Norwegian Ski Federation late Sunday evening, they expressed: "We are both absolutely devastated. Neither of us would have jumped with suits that we knew were manipulated."

Lindvik, who had his silver medal from the large hill competition stripped, and Forfang stressed that they always had great trust in their coaching team, which they believe works hard to develop competitive gear. "We all athletes bear some responsibility for our equipment; however, we do not have the routine to check the work of our team, such as the seams. We have to learn from this," they added.

The 26-year-old Lindvik, who previously won gold from the normal hill at the home World Championship in Trondheim, and the three years older Forfang called for full transparency regarding the proceedings and look forward to discussions with the FIS investigators.

Jan Erik Aalbu, the sports director of the Norwegian Ski Federation, admitted on Sunday afternoon that the manipulation of Lindvik's and Forfang's jumping suits was done by technicians.

This incident has sparked considerable debate and concern within the ski jumping community, particularly about equipment integrity and the trust athletes place in the systems designed to ensure fair competition.