MILAN — Three ski jumpers on the U.S. men’s Olympic team have other things to do besides competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which begins Monday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
They also considered so-called “PenisGate,” where ski jumpers are rumored to be injected with hyaluronic acid to enlarge their penises to increase the distance they can jump. The U.S. Ski Association said these were “crazy rumors,” and the World Anti-Doping Agency said it would investigate to see if there was any evidence.
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All three U.S. ski jumpers insisted they would not do it. But they didn’t rule out rivals getting the shot.
“It’s hard to tell if this is something that’s been done or if it’s something people are doing,” said Jason Colby, a 19-year-old from Steamboat Springs, Colo., who will compete in his first Olympics. “I think, scientifically speaking, it’s possible. But who knows what other teams are doing behind the scenes.”
Kevin Bickner, who competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, told USA TODAY Sports that he thinks using injections is “certainly a possibility.”
“But I don’t think it’s an issue in this sport,” said Bickner, 29, a native of the Chicago area. “I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. Absolutely no one (on the U.S. team) did that.
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“We have close relationships with several countries on the ring. As far as I know, no country is doing this. If it were to be done, it would be … a matter of one or two people. I think, in theory, there is a way to do that.”
Tate Frantz, a 20-year-old native of Lake Placid, N.Y., and the third member of the team, told USA TODAY Sports, “Can’t speak for any other team… but who knows what other teams are doing in the empty arena.”
What happened to the crotch?
The head coach and assistant coach of the Norwegian men’s team have been suspended for 18 months for manipulating ski clothing at the 2025 Nordic Ski World Championships.
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In all cases, attempts at enlargement kits are performed in the crotch area – the same area that is also targeted for penis enlargement injections.
“That’s definitely where you can make the biggest difference on the suit,” Bickner said. “So there’s a lot of focus on making this part of the device as efficient as possible. But I think most people will figure out some way before they decide to inject themselves with something.”
Franz says there are advantages to having a wider crotch.
“It’s more of a question of, is actually injecting a way for someone to do this?” Frantz said. “That’s the question I can’t answer, or I’m still not sure about myself.”
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Not a single long jumper expressed displeasure at the rumors about the injections, which attracted more attention than the competition.
“It’s fun to watch it go down,” Bickner said. “It’s probably not the most concerning thing, but I’ve noticed more people in the U.S. paying attention to ski jumping, which is cool.
“So we’re happy to represent our country. We’re happy that people are paying attention to us now and hopefully we can put this weird stuff behind us and get people to pay more attention to the sport because it’s a really cool sport and we want to represent it well.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: U.S. ski jumper says ‘Penisgate’ not a problem at Winter Olympics