Two Olympic Ski Jumping Gold Medalists Suspended Amid Cheating Investigation

A cheating scandal that has rocked the world of ski jumping came to a head Wednesday with the suspension of a pair of Olympic gold medalists.

Johanne Andre Forfang and Marius Lindvik—both of Norway—were suspended by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Wednesday as the governing body investigates the extent to which individuals associated with the Norwegian team illegally manipulated suits to create extra lift. The Norwegian federation admitted that alterations took place after video showing suits being tampered with became public.

The scandal erupted at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trodheim, Norway, which wrapped up this past Sunday. Forfang and Lindvik were both disqualified from that competition, having combined to win five medals in it.

"The only thing that matters to FIS is to leave this process 100% convinced that the sport is free from any form of manipulation," FIS secretary general Michel Vonn said in a statement. "We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that respect and fairness prevail."

The World Cup season picks back up Thursday in Oslo; Forfang and Lindvik will not participate in that competition.

Forfang won gold in the men's team large hill at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, while Lindvik won gold in the men's individual large hill at the 2022 Games in Beijing.