London: We have heard of controversies and incidents that have marred different editions of Olympic Games.
The 2026 Winter Olympics, however, is seeing something never heard of.
The ongoing Winter Olympics, being staged in Milan and Cortina in Italy, has been rocked by the ‘Penisgate’ scandal following a report revealing that male ski jumpers may be injecting their penises to scale up their performance.
German newspaper Bild reported that jumpers were injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to gain an aerodynamic edge.
Hyaluronic acid, which is used for penile enlargement, can help ski jumpers as it increases body measurements and allows athletes to wear slightly larger suits, which enhances lift during jumps.
Ski jumping suits are strictly regulated so that competitors don’t gain an unfair advantage through increased lift.
Ski jumpers undergo precise body measur
ements at the start of each season to determine dimensions of their competition suits. The measurements include body length and crotch height, which are taken using an FIS-approved 3D body scanner under medical supervision, with athletes stripped to their underwear and required to follow strict posture guidelines.
But injecting the penis with hyaluronic acid gives them a route to ‘cheat’.
It may be a marginal gain, but can be vital in ski jumping as even a small increase in suit surface area can facilitate a better performance.
WADA takes note
The report has prompted World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to probe whether such a practice could indeed be used to manipulate equipment regulation in the sport.
WADA’s investigation is awaited, but the possibility has raised several questions.
According to urological surgeon Prof Eric Chung, hyaluronic acid is a commonly used filler in cosmetic procedures and also employed in penile girth enlargement surgeries.
Chung said that injecting hyaluronic acid increases penile girth, though “you would need to inject a lot of hyaluronic acid.”
However, the effects are temporary, and top-up injections are required every 6 to 12 months, depending on how the body absorbs and redistributes the filler, explained Chung.