Ski jumping consistently ranks amongst the most eagerly awaited events at any Winter Olympics. Nevertheless, the 2022 Games were overshadowed by controversy after five female jumpers were disqualified due to their outfit selections.

Regulations governing ski jumpsuits are rigorously enforced by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Guidelines exist to ensure suits are constructed from appropriate materials and dimensions, permitting a maximum of two to four centimetres of fabric over the body to guarantee they don’t provide aerodynamic advantages. Following previous controversies, 3D scanners have been introduced to verify athletes aren’t violating these regulations. Yet four years ago in Beijing, several competitors still were.

An excessive number of jumpers were discovered to have suits that failed to meet regulations at the previous Winter Olympics. At least five women’s competitors were judged to be wearing suits that were excessively loose, and they were prohibited from participating in the mixed team event as a consequence.

Katharina Althaus, representing Germany was amongst those who breached the judges’ requirements, alongside the Norwegian pair of Silje Opseth and Anna Odine Stroem.

This was in addition to Japanese athlete Sara Takanashi and Austria skier Daniela Iraschko-Stolz. Althaus, Iraschko-Stolz and Takanashi were each disqualified from their opening-round attempts and had their results wiped.

Meanwhile, Opseth and Odine Stroem were disqualified from the final in a blow that devastated Norway’s medal hopes in the team competition.

“A test of the suits had been offered by the FIS competition management to all teams before the competitions,” the FIS told PEOPLE magazine at the time.

“Only a few teams took this opportunity. The used suits that led to the disqualifications were too big and offered an aerodynamic advantage to the athlete. There was no official protest by a team against any of the disqualifications.”

Despite the FIS stating there were no formal complaints, Althaus publicly condemned the ruling.

The German fumed that the FIS had “destroyed women’s ski jumping” with its verdict, whilst Opseth apologised but described the judgement “very strange.”

The decision proved particularly devastating for Norway’s medal ambitions considering male teammates Robert Johansson and Marius Lindvik posted top scores that could have delivered gold had their female colleagues matched their performance.

Odine Stroem has subsequently claimed two gold medals and a silver at this year’s Games.

The 2026 competition has not been without its share of scandal, following reports that male athletes were undergoing penis-enlargement procedures using hyaluronic acid to enhance wind resistance.