Legend Rants - WM Controversy: "We Are Forced to Cheat!"

Legend Rants - WM Controversy: "We Are Forced to Cheat!"

Excitement at the Ski Jumping World Championships in Trondheim! The discussion surrounding non-compliant suits reached its peak with statements from ski jumping legend Sven Hannawald. "You are practically forced to cheat if you want to be up there. It's just frustrating," complained the 50-year-old.

The main accusation? Some athletes are jumping with oversized suits to gain more lift and jump further. At the World Championships in Trondheim, the Germans were recently confronted with this accusation by the Polish team. DSV jumper Andreas Wellinger sensationally won the silver medal on the normal hill, and Karl Geiger placed fourth. “It's either that there are still loopholes in the regulations that some know how to exploit, or I simply don’t know what's going on here,” commented Polish legend Adam Malysz on Germany's surprising success. The Austrians were also affected by the cheating allegations during the Four Hills Tournament when the ÖSV team celebrated a triple triumph.

Ski jumping legend and ARD expert Sven Hannawald is now taking the FIS to task. "A rethink is finally necessary. The decision-makers are required!"

Hannawald stated, "It's just sad how far things have come. Nations are cursing each other. This can't be true. There is pure distrust in this circus. And why? Because the responsible parties have no clear line."

In the summer, rules for the suit were set, defining measurements for shoulders, strides, and legs. At the start of the season, the field was tight, victories close, and controls strict. Now, it seems to be going in the wrong direction. "At first, everything was fair, now it's ‘bird wild.’ Germany and Austria coped best with the tighter suits. Their technique, with a bit more height from the jump, suited this. Other nations that always relied on more surface area, i.e., larger suits, struggled but managed to adapt just fine, like Johann André Forfang," explained Hannawald.

For the World Championships, two additional suits were allowed per jumper. Christian Kathol, the FIS chief inspector, had to approve this. "It's obvious to anyone with six diopters that these suits now present should not be allowed – if one were to stick to the rules established at the beginning of the season," fumed Hannawald.

Particularly conspicuous is the oversized suit of Anna Odine Stroem, who has already won three medals in Trondheim. "Give me that suit and I would jump again. I know nothing could happen since it would catch me," said Hannawald.

From the normal hill, local hero Marius Lyndvik won gold, which Hannawald finds incomprehensible: "Lyndvik often didn’t even reach the second round before the World Championships when the regulations were strict. And now he’s World Champion, with the same technique. It’s all like a bad movie."

Hannawald points out that the FIS allowed loopholes throughout the season. "Any jumper who adapted their jump to the tighter suits is now just punished. Changing the jump to suit other suits midway through a season isn’t something one can do just like that. It just irritates me so extremely. You are practically forced to cheat if you want to be up there. This is just frustrating."

If a solution isn't found, "we'll end up with another total chaos at the Olympic Winter Games," warned Hannawald.

The ÖSV eagles now have one last chance for World Championship gold after missing out on the team favorite victory on Saturday (3:45 PM).