The FIS reacts to the fraud scandal around Norway’s ski jumper. Two athletes and three team officers are initially suspended.
The World Association FIS picked up hard after the suit scandal at the Nordic Ski World Cup.
In addition to three Norwegian team officers, the two-time ski jumping world champion of Trondheim, Marius Lindvik, and his team-mate Johann André Forfang is temporarily suspended. The FIS announced this one day before the World Cup jumping in Oslo.
Marius Lindvik is temporarily suspended
Against the two athletes and the official head coach Magnus Brevig, which was already suspended by the Norwegian ski association, will be determined by the Großschanze last Saturday because of their “alleged participation in illegal material manipulation”. “The situation is obviously extremely worrying and disappointing,” said FIS General Secretary Michel Vion.
Fis confiscated Norwegian suits
Until the end of the procedure, they are temporarily suspended “with immediate effect from participating in FIS events and events of national ski associations,” said the World Association. With their jumpers, the Norwegians are said to have reinforced the inside seams with solid material, which increases the stiffness of the suits and thus the ability to fly.
The FIS announced that it was already confiscated on Tuesday all jump suits that had been borne by the Norwegian teams in special jumping and the combination at the home World Cup. The suits are subjected to a new review as part of the ongoing investigation.
The scandal also has an impact on the athletes of other nations, as the FIS explains: “Given the severity of the case”, the guidelines for the attachment control for the rest of the World Cup season in ski jumping and in the Nordic combination would be “immediately adapted”. At the team captain meeting, the adjustments will be said about the adjustments in Oslo on Wednesday evening.
Equipment regulations could be changed
The goal of the FIS is that “the sport is free from any form of manipulation,” said Vion: “If we come to the conclusion that the equipment regulations have to be changed drastically, we will do so.”
FIS also announced that against Truls Johansen, coaches of Norway, is also being investigated. The examination refers to the team competition, in which Jörgen Graabak was noticed due to a non -compliance with the rules. The German team benefited from Graabak’s disqualification and won gold.
Lindvik (26) prevailed in the World Cup jumping from the normal hill ahead of Andreas Wellinger (Ruhpolding), together with Forfang (29) he also won gold in the mixed team. Both jumpers had denied in a statement that he had knowingly jumped with manipulated suits, which is questioned by numerous experts.