Four Hills: Experts say the cheating has left Norway 'checkmated' — 'Their hands are tied'

NRK reports from Innsbruck, Austria.

– It's not hugely surprising that the Norwegian team isn't right up fighting the best, given what happened last year. They appear to be very conservative on the equipment front, and that makes you lag a bit behind the leading nations, says NRK's ski-jumping expert Johan Remen Evensen.

Evensen says this is why Norway simply has not succeeded on the men's side this Hoppuka.

– Norway is in a position where we can't afford another incident of the same kind. Their hands are tied. They can't stretch the rope, and they can't start shouting too loudly about other nations that might be doing things. So Norway is frankly a bit checkmated, Evensen continues.

Viaplay expert and former Four Hills winner Anders Jacobsen agrees.

– I think Norway is quite afraid of getting disqualified now. It sits pretty deep in the minds of those involved, from what happened in Trondheim. For the athletes it probably feels unfair that things turned out like that, Jacobsen tells NRK.

Poor results and low confidence

On Thursday Kristoffer Sundal Eriksen was the best Norwegian in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 16th place — the worst Norwegian result in the New Year's competition since 2002. A top placing overall was already out of reach after a disappointing start in Oberstdorf last week. Sundal is the best Norwegian overall after three of four events in the Four Hills, in 11th place, a full 117.4 points behind Slovenian Domen Prevc, who leads the tournament.

Two disqualifications and the Trondheim scandal

During the World Championships in Trondheim last March, members of the Norwegian support staff were secretly filmed while ski suits were altered. Norway later admitted cheating: a stiffer thread was sewn into the suits of Johann André Forfang and Marius Lindvik to gain longer jumps. Both were disqualified from the large hill competition (Lindvik had at first seemed to take the World Championship silver). After the incident, all Norwegian jumpers who had been part of the World Championship team were suspended by FIS for the rest of the season.

Suspended coaches Magnus Brevig and Thomas Løberg (Løbbén/Løbben spelled in different sources) and tailor Adrian Livelten reached termination agreements with the Norwegian Ski Federation and left their jobs in May. In August FIS proposed suspensions for Forfang and Lindvik of three months, and 18 months for Brevig, Løberg and Livelten. Forfang and Lindvik later accepted the sanctions and served their suspensions before the season's first World Cup event.

Still, Norway suffered two disqualifications again on New Year's Eve in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Halvor Egner Granerud was disqualified for a suit that was two millimetres too short on one leg. Anna Odine Strøm was also disqualified that day and received a yellow card for a ski-grip rule Norway had not warned organisers about.

What foreign jumpers say

Several foreign jumpers told NRK they see a Norwegian team lacking confidence this season. Comments quoted include:

• Felix Hoffmann (Germany): Norway had a tough summer with many material changes. Their jumps look okay but they lack energy and confidence; they need more good competitions.
• Stefan Kraft (Austria): In previous years Austria got stronger through Klingenthal and Engelberg and peaked in the Four Hills, but this year Norway is not in that form. They're still solid jumpers, so they must wonder why it isn't working.
• Domen Prevc (Slovenia): I think they need one good weekend to regain confidence; technically things look similar but they need to be more relaxed and powerful.
• Gregor Deschwanden (Switzerland): Jumping is about confidence. Everyone talks about last year's scandal, and some athletes handle it better than others.

Team reactions and leadership comments

Sport director Jan-Erik Aalbu arrived for the Four Hills on New Year's Day and said he was very unhappy about Norway's two disqualifications the previous day. Asked whether Norway has been too conservative on equipment, Aalbu replied:

– We got one disqualification on New Year's Eve for 2 millimetres too short leg length, so maybe we've stretched the rope too far, he told NRK. But we've probably stayed on the right side, and I've been clear about that all along. It's not for us to start pointing at other nations while we are in this situation.

Norwegian jumpers also commented:

• Johann André Forfang: He doubts other teams are as clean as Norway, but says he's very vulnerable right now and that equipment matters a lot; his equipment doesn't give him the rotation he needs.
• Marius Lindvik: He admits he does not have a good answer; he's frustrated because he keeps landing in the same bad spot and calls the year 'hellish' and a huge strain.
• Halvor Egner Granerud: He says it's difficult and hopes officials keep the field under control; visually the suits look very similar across the field.

No Norwegians were disqualified during the New Year's competition itself, though controversies continued (including other disqualifications such as Timi Zajc being thrown out of the tournament after a new disqualification). On Saturday Lindvik withdrew from the Four Hills, and on Sunday Granerud had a chaotic moment after being stuck in a lift for half an hour.

Published: 5 January 2026 — NRK Sport (reporting from Innsbruck)