Allegations of hyaluronic acid use in ski jumping (Full Transcript)
[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Are Olympic ski jumpers injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid? And why? German newspaper Bild has reported that jumpers are injecting themselves before being measured for their suits. So what is hyaluronic acid? It's not banned, but it can be used to increase penis circumference by one or two centimeters and lasts up to 18 months. According to FIS, the International Ski and Snowboard Association, this extra surface area could increase their flight in the air. Every extra centimeter on a suit counts. If your suit has a 5% bigger surface area, you fly further, the FIS ski jumping men's race director Sandro Bertile said. Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency Director General Olivier Nigli said he wasn't aware of the details of ski jumping and how that could improve performance. But they will investigate these claims if a complaint is made. BBC Sport has contacted FIS for comment.
- A German report alleges ski jumpers inject hyaluronic acid pre-measurement to increase circumference.
- Hyaluronic acid is not currently banned and can add 1–2 cm in girth for up to 18 months.
- In ski jumping, small increases in suit surface area may translate into longer flights.
- FIS acknowledges that larger suit surface area can increase distance, making measurements contentious.
- WADA says it would look into the matter if a formal complaint is made; BBC requested FIS comment.