Speaking at a press conference ahead of the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, World Anti-Doping Agency Chief Witold Banka told reporters he’s aware of the claims that some male ski jumpers are injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises to get a competitive advantage and has put his team on the case, AFP reports without actually explaining what hyaluronic acid is supposed to do to make it easier. The article then goes on a brief tangent about athletes in the sport having been caught making subtle alterations to the seams on the crotch areas of their suits – thus reducing air friction during a jump – during a major meet last year.
“Ski jumping is very popular in Poland so I promise you I’m going to look at it,” Banka said, the AFP noting that he was smiling. His second-in-command, WADA director general Olivier Neggli, then said he’s “not aware of the details of ski jumping – and how this can improve performance – but if anything was to come to the surface we would look at anything if it is actually doping-related.”