'Penisgate' Explained: Olympic Skiers Accused of Using Penis Injections to Enhance Performance
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is often tasked with investigating athletes who may be using illicit substances, but what's happening at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games is new territory.
On Thursday multiple outlets reported WADA is looking into claims that male skiers may be injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to fly further down the trail. The potential scandal has been dubbed "Penisgate."
Per The Guardian, the issue was first reported by the German newspaper Bild. The outlet also noted this isn't the first time the sport has been hit with similar allegations. In 2025, Norwegian skiers Marius Lindvik and Johann André Forfang were suspended for three months after their team was found to "have secretly adjusted the seams of their suits around the crotch area at the 2025 World Ski Championships."
The team's coaches Magnus Brevik and Thomas Lobben as well as staff member Adrian Livelten were banned for 18 months.
Inside the Winter Olympics 'Penisgate' Scandal
Though Witold Banka, the president of WADA, appeared amused as he issued a warning to athletes participating in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games, the possibility that athletes might be using performance-enhancing injections is likely to be taken very seriously.
The allegations were first raised after this year's skiers underwent required 3D scans that measure their body suits, The Times of London reported. The scans are necessary because "any excess material can create a sail-like effect, in particular in the crotch area, that experts say can lengthen a leap by almost six meters."
The outlet also noted that it appears skiers and coaches in Germany may have found a workaround following the scandal in Norway: "However, reports in Germany suggest athletes and their coaches may have discovered an alternative method for gaining extra material, by increasing the size of their genitalia for when they have their suits fitted," The Times added. "In ski jumping, it seems, size does matter."
Olivier Niggli, the director general of WADA, also said, "I’m not aware of the details of ski jumping — and how this can improve — but if anything was to come to the surface we would look at anything if it is actually doping-related. We don’t do other means of enhancing performance but our list committee would certainly look into whether this would fall into this category."
How Hyaluronic Acid Could Enhance Skiing Performance
Per the Cleveland Clinic, hyaluronic acid is a "gooey, slippery substance that your body produces naturally" that is most often found in the joints, eyes, and skin. The substance "helps your joints work like a well-oiled machine" and "prevents pain and injury from bones grinding against each other." It can also keep one hydrated and helps skin stretch and flex.
Hyaluronic acid can also be found in dietary supplements, shampoos and lotions, lubricants, and in most eye drops.
Bild spoke to Dr. Kamran Karim, who explained to the outlet that "injecting paraffin or hyaluronic acid would create a temporary 'thickening' effect."
The Times also noted: "One study by the scientific journal, Frontiers, found that for every 2cm a suit size circumference is increased, drag is reduced by four per cent and lift is increased by five per cent, equivalent to an extra 5.8 metres in jump length."