The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has promised to look into accusations of the use of injections for artificial penis enlargements at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
It follows reports of athletes using penis-enlarging injections to access bigger ski jumping suits and thus perform better.
Confused? We’ll explain.
Ski jumping
In ski jumping, athletes ski down a curved ramp and jump as far as they can off the end. The length and style of their jump determines their scores.
There are strict rules around athletes’ suits, including fit, fabric, and zipper placement.
Suits must “conform” to the body with some slight exceptions for extra fabric, such as an additional 3cm of material in the crotch for men.
Athletes undergo a 3D body measurement scan in underwear to compare them to their suit.
Impact
German newspaper Bild first suggested in January that athletes were using hyaluronic acid to enlarge their penises before a 3D scan for their ski jump suits.
The theory behind it is: if their measurement is bigger during the scans, they will be allowed more room between their crotch and ski suit when it’s time to compete.
International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Men’s Race Director Sandro Pertile said: “If your suit has a 5% bigger surface area, you fly further.”
A study published in the academic journal Frontiers in 2025 showed drag increased by around 4% and lift by 5% for every 2cm increase in tolerance.
Tolerance is the amount a garment differs from its pattern.
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
I want to give $10 monthly to help TDA keep doing the news.
Your details:
This meant a suit with an extra 3 cm of fabric could see an athlete travelling about 5.8 metres further in distance.
The manufacture and design of ski jump suits is taken seriously.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics, five female ski jumpers were disqualified for having non-compliant suits.
Last year, three Norwegian ski jumping team officials were banned for 18 months for manipulating their athletes’ suits ahead of an event, sewing in an extra, “stiffer” thread.
Injections
So, what are athletes alleged to be injecting?
Hyaluronic acid is a moisture-binding molecule found naturally in the skin, eyes, and around the joints. Injections of hyaluronic acid are generally used to treat joint pain in areas like the knee, for conditions such as osteoarthritis.
A 2022 study with a small cohort found injections of the substance increased penis girth and length.
Cosmetic Connection’s Dr. Aaron Stanes performs the injections at two Australian clinics.
Dr. Stanes said: “Size gains are proportional to the extent of treatment — the more extensive the treatment, the more size is gained.”
WADA
At a press conference this week, The Guardian reported WADA President Witold Bańka said: “I promise you I’m going to look at it.”
WADA Director-General Olivier Niggli said he was “not aware of the details... but if anything was to come to the surface we would look at anything if it is actually doping related.”
“Our list committee would certainly look into whether this would fall into this category,” he added.
