Two Norwegian ski jumpers, Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang, were disqualified from Saturday’s men’s large hill competition after organisers discovered that their suits broke the rules. Lindvik finished second in the event before he was disqualified.
The Norwegian federation on Sunday admitted that the suits had been deliberately altered, when a video from a spy camera emerged online revealing the alterations being made.
“The way I consider this … we have cheated,” said Jan-Erik Aalbu, general manager of the federation. “We have tried to cheat the system. That is unacceptable.”
Coach Magnus Brevig admitted on Monday that several team members were involved in agreeing to alter the suits in order to reduce wind resistance, but added:
“I should have stopped it.” He claimed it was the first time they had stitched in an extra seam, and explained why a stiffer suit would help the jumpers fly farther in the air. “A tighter sail is better than a loose sail,” he said.
The Federation followingly suspended coach Magnus Brevig and the equipment manager Adrian Livelten indefinitely while FIS, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, opened its own investigation on Sunday.
Now Daniel-André Tande, who retired at the end of last year, along with former world record holder Johan Remen Evensen and Olympic silver medalist, Anders Jacobsen claims that cheating is completely normal in ski jumping.
There are hardly any limits to what Tande, Remen Evensen and Anders Jacobsen have seen international competitors do over many years on the ski jumping circuit, and all three acknowledge that they have been part of a culture that largely accepts cheating.
The 31-year-old Tande, who won olympic gold at the team competition in 2018 in Pyeongchang and earlier became world champion in the same competition in 2016 in Bad Mitterndorf, admits that he has competed several times with equipment that he knew was against the rules.
"I have cheated several times", says Tande to NRK and also Remen Evensen and Anders Jacobsen acknowledge that they haven't played by the rules.
"That is a tough word. Cheated. But I can't say with my hand on my heart that I haven't done it. Because if cheating by definition means wearing a suit that's a little too big, then yes, then I've cheated", Remen Evensen admits.
"The norm in sport has been that if you don't get caught, you haven't cheated. And it is an attitude problem that has spread throughout the ski jumping world in all nations. And that is something we have to deal with."
Tande says FIS, the International Skiing Federation has a lot of responsiblity for the fact that everybody allegedly fail to play by the rules.
He points out that checks are so random that FIS can control - and manipulate - the results lists.
"This is how the product has been managed for many years, that it is best for the product if a Norwegian wins when there is ski jumping in Norway, or it is best for the product if Austria wins when there is ski flying in Austria. It is something that they have been aware of, claims Tande. Inspectors have allowed visible illegalities to pass in order to get the "correct" winner in individual races" claims Tande.
FIS have so far failed to comment on the allegations. The Nordic Skiing World Championships which took place in Trondheim, ended on Sunday.