Olympic Ski Jumpers Accused of Penis Injections? Inside the Wildest Rumor at Milano-Cortina

Summary:

• Rumors swirl that male ski jumpers are injecting their genitals with fillers for aerodynamic advantage. Officials deny claims.

• Rumors suggest some athletes are padding their pants with hyaluronic acid injections before body scans for larger jumpsuits.

• No evidence supports the claims of genital injections for ski jumping advantage, but the rumor persists amid Olympic pressure.

If you thought figure skating costumes caused drama, ski jumping has quietly raised the stakes with a rumor so strange it barely sounds printable.

As the 2026 Winter Olympics get underway in Milano-Cortina, a claim has taken flight across Europe’s sports press that male ski jumpers are allegedly injecting their genitals with fillers to gain an aerodynamic advantage.

Yes. Really.

The whispers, first amplified by Germany’s Bild, suggest that some athletes may be padding their pants with hyaluronic acid injections ahead of mandatory preseason 3D body scans. The logic is bleak but straightforward. A larger measurement allows for a larger jumpsuit, and more fabric can translate into more lift.

Officials, at least publicly, are unmoved.

Ski jumping is one of the rare Olympic sports where millimeters can alter outcomes. Before the season begins, every athlete undergoes a 3D body scan that determines exactly how tight or loose their suit may be.

Wind tunnel and simulation studies have suggested that adding just a few centimeters of fabric can increase drag and lift enough to add several meters to a jump. In a sport decided by tenths and fractions, that is not insignificant.

Which brings the conversation, inevitably, to the crotch.

Last year, Norwegian jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang were suspended for three months after officials discovered that the crotch areas of their suits had been illegally re-stitched to create extra room. Both athletes denied knowing about the alterations. Coaches and technicians received longer bans. The episode underscored a familiar truth in elite sports. Equipment is always temptation.

According to Bild and subsequent reporting from outlets including Ars Technica and the Associated Press, unnamed sources allege that some jumpers are using injectable fillers like hyaluronic acid to temporarily increase genital size before scans.

Hyaluronic acid itself is not exotic. It occurs naturally in the body and is widely used in approved medical and cosmetic procedures, including joint injections and facial fillers. Its function is simple. It attracts water and creates volume.

What it is not approved for is penis enhancement. When used off-label, the risks can include infection, tissue damage, and serious complications in rare cases. It would be a high-risk and deeply awkward gamble for a marginal competitive edge.

Both the International Ski and Snowboard Federation and the World Anti-Doping Agency have said there is no evidence to support the claims. FIS spokesperson Bruno Sassi described the story as pure hearsay, adding that there has never been any indication that competitors have used injections to gain an advantage. WADA officials echoed that view and noted that hyaluronic acid is not a banned substance.

In simpler terms, there is no proof and no case.

Still, the rumor refuses to disappear. It strikes a precise internet nerve. Elite athletes under Olympic pressure. Anxiety about bodies and performance. A scandal nickname that practically writes itself.