The Winter Olympics has found itself the centre of a jaw-dropping rumour — that elite ski jumpers are injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to gain a competitive edge. While the idea sounds far-fetched, it’s sparked real conversation at the highest levels of international sport.
The claim first surfaced in January via German news outlet Bild, which reported allegations that some ski jumpers had been using hyaluronic acid injections in their genitals prior to being measured for their suits. The substance, commonly used in cosmetic procedures, can increase the girth of the penis by one to two centimetres.
Why would that matter in ski jumping?
In this high-flying sport, athletes descend rapidly down a steep ramp before soaring through the air. Suit regulations are notoriously strict, only allowing a two-to-four centimetre gap around the body. By enlarging their crotch area, athletes could create a larger suit surface — essentially adding more “wing” area to improve aerodynamic lift and glide.
While there’s no current evidence that any competitor has actually done this, the theory continues to gain traction — especially after a crotch-padding scandal rocked the sport last year, leading to new regulations ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
A 2025 study in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living highlighted the potential benefits of even minor suit modifications, revealing that an extra one centimetre of fabric could add as much as 9.2 feet to a jump.
When the eyebrow-raising question was put to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) director general Olivier Niggli at a recent press conference, he responded:
“I am not aware of the details of ski jumping, and how that could improve performance.
If anything was to come to the surface, we would look at it and see if it is doping related. We don’t address other [non-doping] means of enhancing performance.”
The International Ski Federation (FIS) also weighed in. Communications director Bruno Sassi told BBC Sport:
“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.”
Despite the absurdity, the theory taps into broader debates around performance enhancement, body modification, and how far athletes will go for gold — even if, in this case, the rumour may be more myth than reality.
