Last March the International Ski Federation disqualified a number of members from the Norwegian ski jumping team over “ill-fitting” suits.

With just six months remaining until the Olympic Winter Games in Cortina-Milan, Italy; the controversy has arisen once again.

This past weekend the FIS held their first major competition of the season in France.  Six members of the male ski jumping team were disqualified and three others were not allowed to jump, all due to issues with the suits.  A Japanese ski jumper was not permitted to jump on Sunday.

One of the disqualified skiers was  Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal from Norway who was involved in the previous “scandal”.

The FIS stated that the new disqualifications were a result of “tightening up the rules after the Norwegian suit scandal.”

Noting that ski jumping equipment is a complicated matter, FIS race director Sandro Pertile noted that he “doesn’t think anyone was trying to cheat and that fewer disqualifications will occur as teams get used to the rules.”

He added, “it’s perfectly normal for teams to need some time to adapt to the new situation after such comprehensive changes to the equipment regulations. Some cope with it straight away, others find it difficult at first.  It’s also important to highlight that these disqualifications are clearly a result of technical inadequacies — there’s no sign whatsoever of ill intent from the teams.”

Along with the disqualified skiers, there were an additional 14 – nine men and five women – who were not allowed to compete after failing a “technical approval process”.  However, it was clear as to whether the failure was related to their suits.

According to the rules, ski jumpers suits must be “snug” and form fitting.

Pertile said, “the teams know that they have our full support, and we expect the number of disqualifications to decrease significantly in the coming weeks.  With that said, we will remain strict and precise with equipment check the whole season long; there is no room for exceptions.”

After the first competition of the season, the FIS has officially charged three staff members and two medal winning ski jumpers with ethics violations after the ski suit scandal during the World Championships last March.

Ski Jumpers Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre’ Forfang; along with two coaches and a service staffer were all charged with “equipment manipulation” in an attempt to make the suits more aerodynamic.

The FIS interviewed 38 witnesses and examined nearly 90 pieces of evidence before making their ruling.