Norwegian Ski Jumpers Disqualified in Cheating Scandal at World Championships: How Did they Cheat?

Two of Norway's best ski jumpers, Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, have been disqualified from the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim after officials found their suits had been illegally tampered with.

This revelation has stunned the world of ski jumping, with questions surrounding equipment rules and fair play in the sport.

Norwegian Ski Federation Admits to Rule Violation

Norwegian Ski Jumpers Disqualified in Cheating Scandal at World Championships

The disqualification was made public after an inspection found that Lindvik and Forfang's suits had reinforced thread, a clear breach of FIS rules. During a press conference, Jan-Erik Aalbu, the general manager (GM) of the Norwegian Ski Federation, freely acknowledged that the changes were deliberate.

"The support system has explained that, on Friday, they chose to put a reinforced thread in the jumpsuit of Forfang and Lindvik," Aalbu said. "This was done knowing that this is not within the regulations, but with a belief that it would not be discovered by FIS' equipment controller."

Aalbu was not diplomatic, confessing, "The way I look at this, we've cheated. We've attempted to cheat the system. That's unacceptable." He also explained that the athletes employed the tampered suits only during the men's large hill competition and not for other events during the championships.

FIS Launches Ethics Investigation

After the disqualification, the International Ski Federation (FIS) announced that an official investigation had been initiated. The governing body issued a statement that stated Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang were disqualified after an inspection of their jumping suits, which did not meet the equipment rules.

According to CNN, the FIS Independent Ethics and Compliance Office is now investigating a suspicion of illegal manipulation of the equipment by the Norwegian team."

What's more, the investigation may have further implications for the Norwegian Ski Federation, including possible rule changes to avoid such a situation in the future.

Athletes Deny Suit Manipulation Knowledge

Both Forfang and Lindvik went on social media to voice their disappointment and deny knowledge of the suit tampering.

Forfang, who had originally finished in the event before being disqualified, posted his devastation on Instagram. The 2018 team Olympic champion said that he was "beyond devastated" after his World Championships dreams turned into tragedy.

Forfang also added that he had no idea about the suit modifications, pointing out that there was no procedures to inspect the "finer points of the work" such as seams.

Lindvik shared the same views, describing the event as a "nightmare." The 26-year-old Olympic gold medalist, who originally won silver in the big hill competition before being disqualified, shared his heartbreak.

Like Forfang, he denied that he had no idea about the suit manipulation.

Despite the controversy, Lindvik and Forfang's past wins hold. Lindvik won golds in the normal hill and mixed team large hill events earlier during the championships, and those are still valid.

It is now up to the Norwegian Ski Federation to navigate through this controversy. With the FIS probe in progress, possible disciplinary actions may follow, affecting Norway's image in the sport