The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will deal with recent information from the German newspaper Bild, according to which ski jumpers inject hyaluronic acid into their penises in an attempt to achieve better performance.
The application temporarily enlarges the penis, which of course brings health risks. But how can this benefit athletes?
Already last year, Norwegian jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang received a three-month suspension for illegal handling of overalls, and for their head coach Magnus Brevik, his assistant Thomas Lobben and member of the service team Adrian Livelten, the scandal ended with a one-and-a-half-year ban. The Norwegian team illegally adjusted the seams of the overalls in the crotch area during the WC in Trondheim. These modifications made the overalls larger, and they then reduced the speed of the jumpers’ descent thanks to the larger area acting as a wing.
A study published in the scientific journal Frontiers found that every two centimeter increase in the suit’s circumference reduced drag by four percent and increased lift by five percent. According to the authors, such a change can extend the jump by almost six meters.
Bild newspaper now claims that the jumpers have come up with a new way to fool the scanner that measures body parameters for the production of overalls. Allegedly, they apply the aforementioned acid to their penis or insert a substance into their underwear to make the dimensions temporarily larger and the overalls subsequently looser.
These claims are not yet supported by any direct evidence. However, according to WADA rules, any method that endangers the athlete’s health and is against the spirit of sport is prohibited.
WADA President Witold Banka and the agency’s CEO, Olivier Niggli, have promised to look into the matter, but admit that this is the first time they have heard of such a method.
