Are Ski Jumpers Injecting Acid Into Their Penises? Probably not

"As reported by the BBC, there's been a strange rumor floating around men's ski jumping, and it all started after German newspaper Bild reported in January that some athletes were injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises before being measured by officials for their tight-fitting suits. Why? Apparently, the acid, which is not banned, causes the injected penis to grow in circumference by about one to two centimeters, or a little less than an inch."

""Every extra centimetre on a suit counts. If your suit has a 5 percent bigger surface area, you fly further," ski jumping men's race director Sandro Pertile told the BBC. Before the start of a season, ski jumpers are 3D scanned and measured to create skin-tight suits. Part of the measuring process includes the amount of fabric around the crotch. So a bit more girth could provide a little more fabric, and that could equal a slightly longer jump."

"There's just one problem with this wild theory: There is no evidence that it's happening at the Winter Olympics. International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) communications director Bruno Sassi told the BBC that there has "never been any indication" nor "evidence" that a male skier has injected hyaluronic acid into their penis to gain an unfair advantage. Though it is also possible that this is happening, and nobody has been caught yet."

Rumors claim some male ski jumpers inject hyaluronic acid into their penises before measurement for skin-tight suits. Hyaluronic acid is not banned and can increase penile circumference by about one to two centimeters. A larger circumference could add a few percent of suit surface area and potentially extend flight distance. Ski jumpers are 3D scanned and measured pre-season, including fabric allowances around the crotch. FIS communications director Bruno Sassi said there has never been any indication or evidence of such injections at the Olympics. WADA director Olivier Niggli said he is not aware of how that would improve performance.

Read at Kotaku