The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) could investigate, if evidence emerges, allegations that ski jumping athletes are injecting substances into their penises to improve sporting performance.
In January, German newspaper Bild reported that jumpers were injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises before being measured for their costumes.
This substance, which is not prohibited in sport, can be used to increase the circumference of the penis by one or two centimeters.
This would increase the surface area of their suits during competition, which, according to the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation), could increase their flight through the air.
“Every extra centimeter on a suit counts. If your suit has 5% more surface area, you’ll fly further,” said Sandro Pertile, FIS men’s ski jumping event director.
Asked about Bild’s allegations during a press conference at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Wada director general Olivier Niggli said he had no information on the matter.
“I am not aware of the details of ski jumping and how it could improve performance. If anything comes to light, we will investigate and see if it is related to doping. We have not addressed other means [não proibidos] to improve performance.”
Visibly amused by the question, Wada’s Polish president, Witold Banka, joked: “Ski jumping is very popular in Poland, so I promise I will look into it.”
FIS communications director Bruno Sassi told BBC Sport that “there has never been any indication, let alone evidence, that any competitor has used a hyaluronic acid injection to try to gain a competitive advantage.”
Before the start of each season, ski jumping athletes are measured using 3D body scanners, in which they must wear only “elastic, tight-fitting underwear.”
The rules stipulate that suits must have a tolerance of just 2 to 4 cm, and as part of the measuring process, crotch height is also measured.
The crotch height of the suit must correspond to the athlete’s groin height, with an increase of 3 cm for men.
Hyaluronic acid injected into the penis can last up to 18 months.
There have been previous attempts to improve performance through costume manipulations.
In August, Norwegian Olympic medalists Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang were suspended for three months for their involvement in costume tampering during the long track jumping event at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, in March.
Although it was later discovered that the athletes themselves were unaware of the tampering, the FIS stated that the team “tried to game the system” by placing reinforced wires in the competition suits.
The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics officially start this Friday (6) and run until February 22. This is the 25th edition of the competition.
Ski jumping has its first event on Monday (9).
Brazil has been competing in the Winter Olympic Games since 1992. This is Brazil’s tenth participation, which will have the largest delegation in its history with 15 athletes (including a reserve) and is seeking an unprecedented medal.
Brazilian athletes will compete in five sports: bobsled, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, skeleton and snowboard.
Of the 15 Brazilian athletes who will be at the Olympics, 11 were born in Brazil. The other four – Lucas Pinheiro, Pat Burgener, Augustinho Teixeira and Giovanni Ongaro – are from other countries, but have dual nationality and chose to represent Brazil.
Risks and precautions of injecting hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is a polymer formed by substances similar to sugars, capable of attracting, absorbing and retaining water.
The substance has been widely used to fill various parts of the body, such as lips and forehead, and also to thicken the penis.
According to urologist Ubirajara Barroso Jr., professor at the Federal University of Bahia, filling with hyaluronic acid leads to a gain of approximately 1.5 to 2 cm.
Flávio Rezende, member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, explains that the result depends on the amount of substance applied, which varies depending on the characteristics of each patient. According to him, for every 34 ml of hyaluronic acid it is possible to gain around 1 cm in circumference.
“Today it is possible to achieve 3 or 4 cm of gain, depending on the professional’s technical knowledge and aesthetics, so that the intervention is not noticeable”, stated the plastic surgeon in an interview with the BBC in May 2025.
As hyaluronic acid is absorbed by the body over time, the procedure requires reapplications after one or two years.
Experts consulted by the BBC say that the procedure is simple and has a low rate of complications – if it is carried out properly.
However, they warn of the risks of application carried out independently or by unqualified professionals.
“We see cases of self-application, as if it were the same thing as putting a cream on your face. The penis is a unique organ, full of blood vessels, nerves and other structures, with sexual and urinary functions”, explains urologist Fernando Facio, coordinator of the Department of Andrology at SBU (Brazilian Society of Urology).
According to Facio, hyaluronic acid needs to be applied to one of the layers just below the skin, which are just a few millimeters thick.
If the substance is injected into the wrong place, at best it could end up in the pelvic wall. In this case, there are no serious adverse effects, and the penis does not gain in size.
But in the worst case scenario, hyaluronic acid can enter one of the blood vessels that irrigate the region, causing life-threatening necrosis or embolism.
