Two athletes disqualified from Winter Olympics after a banned substance is found on skis – days after ‘Penis-gate’ saga gripped the Games
Two Olympic cross-country skiers have been disqualified from the Winter Games after a banned substance was found on their skis during the qualifying rounds.
The equipment of South Korea’s Han Dasom and Lee Eui-jin was deemed contaminated with fluorinated wax, a substance banned since the 2023-24 season.
Wax, known as ‘fluorine’, was originally used in sailing but gained popularity among skiers in the 1980s for its capacity to increase the glide of an object.
However, since fluorine is a ‘forever chemical’ that does not biodegrade, the substance has been declared illegal due to its toxic effects on the environment.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) banned the chemical in 2019, and the ban took effect four years later.
The FIS confirmed on Tuesday that Han and Lee were banned following the women’s sprint qualifiers that morning.
Han Dasom (pictured) and Lee Eui-jin were disqualified after their skis were found to be contaminated with a banned substance
Ranked 157th and 158th in the World Cup rankings at Tuesday’s event, neither skier was thought to be in the medal race.
Before Han and Lee’s disqualification, Olympic skiing had faced false allegations that male ski jumpers were injecting hyaluronic acid into their genitals to gain a competitive advantage.
The saga known as ‘penis gate’ had a surreal impact on the opening stages of the Games, which began in earnest in Milan and Cortina d’Apezzo last week.
While the claims are little more than speculation, ski jumpers are subject to strict checks to ensure they do not extend the crotch area of their ski suits to gain the upper hand.
Before this season, athletes underwent 3D body scanning to determine the size of their competition clothes and to prevent athletes from interfering with them.
Scientific studies suggest that any increase in the surface area of a skin suit can effectively turn the jumper into a human glider; This implies that the larger a particular bulge is, the farther they can fly.
A study by Frontiers found that every two centimeters around the suit reduces drag by four percent and increases lift by five percent; This is equivalent to an extra 5.8 meters in jump length.
It was revealed that at the world championship in March 2025, the Norwegian team adjusted the stitching on the crotch of their suits in order to gain an advantage over their opponents.
Magnus Brevik, their head coach, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and other staff member Adrian Livelten were banned for 18 months as a result.
Olympic ski jumping champions Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang were also suspended for three months, but it emerged the athletes were unaware of the plan.
Returning to the Olympics in Italy, Fofang placed ninth in the regular hill jump on Monday, while Lindvik finished 17th in the standings.
