The tide turns — Norwegians suddenly accuse Austria’s "Adlers" of cheating

A sudden turn of events: about a year after the scandal over manipulated suits by Norwegian ski jumpers, Austrian "Adlers" (the ÖSV team) now face accusations of cheating from Norwegians. Former Norwegian ski jumper Johan Remen Evensen did not mince words in an interview with Dagbladet, saying it was obvious the Austrians were desperate and pulling out all the stops.

The incident in question came after Daniel Tschofenig — who had placed eighth in his first attempt on the large hill — was disqualified before the final round. The jury ruled that his shoes exceeded the permitted size by four millimetres. Tschofenig accepted the punishment without protest and called it an “extremely stupid” mistake, adding: “Rules are rules.” He is the current overall World Cup leader.

Evensen, however, was sceptical that the violation was merely an accidental oversight. “That is intentional cheating,” the 40-year-old said. He pointed to the 2025 Nordic World Ski Championships, when Norwegians Marius Lindvik and André Forfang were involved in a scandal over manipulated suits. Evensen asked whether the roles are now reversed and suggested the Austrians could be trying anything to win.

The story has reignited debate over equipment control and enforcement in ski jumping at the highest level, with heated reactions in the sport community following the disqualification and the Norwegian commentary. The ÖSV has not publicly been quoted in this report defending or explaining the shoe-size finding at the time of publication.