The Olympics May Have a Penis Problem Thanks to Ski Jumping

The Winter Olympics in Italy this year could have an oddly shaped bump in the road. The world of elite ski jumping is currently beset by rumors of athletes artificially enlarging their penises to gain an advantage.

German newspaper Bild first reported on the potential scandal last month. The outlet claims some male skiers may be injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to justify the use of larger suits while competing. Silly as this sounds, the World Anti-Doping Agency isn’t completely dismissing the claims just yet.

“Ski jumping is very popular in Poland so I promise you I’m going to look at it,” said the smiling WADA president Witold Bańka, who is from Poland, at a press conference Thursday.

Penis-gate?

Bild is generally considered a tabloid (think New York Post). And its article doesn’t identify any specific athletes accused of penis enlargement, only detailing supposed whispers from the community. So this report should be taken with a large grain of salt. But there is certainly a logic to the alleged penis-doping.

Professional ski jumpers are carefully fitted for suits prior to the start of major events. But a larger-than-needed suit, particularly around the crotch, can be more aerodynamic and allow for longer coasting times. We’re not talking about a theoretical benefit either—athletes have already been caught cheating with their suits lately, albeit without needing to inject any penises.

Last summer, two Olympic gold medalist ski jumpers and three staffers on the Norwegian men’s team were charged with ethics violations over a sizing scandal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2025 earlier that year. They were caught on tape adding non-elastic stitching to the crotch area of their suits after inspection (the team admitted to the ploy). Former competitive ski jumpers have also alleged that cheating has long been rampant in the sport and that it has often revolved around suit manipulation.

All that said, penis-gate remains only a rumor for the time being.

“There has never been any indication, let alone evidence, that any competitor has ever made use of a hyaluronic acid injection to attempt to gain a competitive advantage,” FIS communications director Bruno Sassi told BBC Sport this week.

How far would someone go for a shot at Olympic gold? For a male ski jumper desperate enough, maybe the answer is a few more inches.