• The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kick off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6.
  • The Norwegian ski jumping team was caught cheating at the 2025 World Ski Championships by adding more fabric to their uniforms and manipulating the results of its top male jumpers.
  • New rules have been implemented ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics after the scandal, which the internet dubbed “Penisgate.”

To no one’s surprise, the 2026 Winter Olympics are already bringing in a bunch of behind-the-scenes drama—and they technically haven’t even started yet. The global sporting event has already made headlines with some figure skating drama (Minions guy, we’re looking at you), but the real kicker here? There’s a full-blown scandal in ski jumping, and it’s called “Penisgate.” (Yes, I just used my totally legit journalism degree to spread this news. I’m sorry/you’re welcome?)

Let’s catch up to speed, because…how did “Penisgate” even come about? At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2025, Norway’s head coach, Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben, and staff member Adrian Livelten were caught cheating when they had sewn extra material into the crotch. They stiffened and added surface area to help as jumpers headed into the air, because a large part of scoring comes down to the time and distance of their leap. Of course, they were disqualified and banned from competing in the sport for 18 months after they were caught.

“There have been disqualifications in the past, many. It’s part of the sport,” Bruno Sassi, spokesman for the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) told the Associated Press. “But there had never been that kind of a brazen attempt to not only bend the rules, but like downright do something...to cheat the system in a way that it is very different from simply having a suit that is a tad too long or a tad too loose.”

Ski Jumping Training - Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Day -1
Alex Slitz//Getty Images
Team Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi during the Men’s Normal Hill training session before the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics games on Feb. 5.

What’s more: German newspaper Bild recently claimed that jumpers have since switched to other methods to enhance their performance…including injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid in order to fly further. Hence, “Penisgate.”

Now, major changes to the rules are being made and will go into effect just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Suits will be redesigned with shapes that make it harder to manipulate the arm, leg, and crotch areas. Before each event, two FIS controllers and a doctor will check athletes’ uniforms with 3D measurements and add microchips in the fabric that will check for any tampering before and after the game.

FIS will also bring in a coordinator to oversee the gear screening, and former Austrian ski jumper Mathias Hafele will work as an equipment expert.

If you’re familiar with soccer’s carding system, ski jumping will implement a similar one as part of its new rules. Here’s the TL;DR: Yellow cards are given to someone who gets disqualified for equipment violation, while red cards signal another violation and disqualify the player from the next event.

And…that’s pretty much it. Congratulations, you’re now the resident “Penisgate” expert of your group chat!