Three Norwegian ski jumping staff suspended 18 months for falsifying suits

Three senior members of Norway’s ski jumping team have been suspended for 18 months by the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) Ethics Commission for falsifying competition suits at the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim.

The trio sanctioned are head coach Magnus Brevig, former assistant coach Thomas Lobben (listed in some reports as Thomas Løberg) and the technician in charge of suits, Adrian Livelten. The judgment follows an inquiry into manipulated equipment used during the large hill event in March 2025.

The controversy began after Norwegian jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang — together with members of the technical staff — were accused of using modified suits. Lindvik originally finished second but was later disqualified when the equipment inspection found irregularities.

The Norwegian Ski Federation had acknowledged after the competition that the team’s suits had been tampered with, while stressing that the jumpers themselves were not responsible for the rule breaches. Organisers had not detected anything at the initial control; subsequent checks after the race revealed different materials in the seams.

In a statement, FIS said the Ethics Commission’s decision makes the three ineligible for "18 months from the date of the decision (8 January 2026)," minus the provisional suspension time already served since 12 March 2025. Each has also been fined 5,000 Swiss francs (about €5,365) to cover procedure and investigation costs.

The Norwegians’ lawyers told public broadcaster NRK that the sanction was “disproportionately severe.” They pointed out the ruling states that similar rule violations had not previously been punished and said this case appears intended to set an example and mark a stricter line in international ski jumping.

The FIS decision and the dispute come after earlier disciplinary measures: the two jumpers received temporary suspensions in 2025 and the federation dismissed three staff members amid the scandal.

Sources: Reuters; FIS statement (FIS website).