MILANO ― The three ski jumpers on the United States men’s Olympic team had something on their minds other than their the 2026 Winter Games competition that starts Monday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
They also were thinking about so-called "PenisGate," rumors that ski jumpers have gotten penis-enlarging injections of hyaluronic acid to increase the distance of their jumps. U.S. Ski said it was all "wild rumor," and the World Anti-Doping Agency said it will investigate to see if there is any evidence.
All three U.S. ski jumpers were adamant they’re not doing it. But they didn’t rule out competitors getting the injections.
"It is difficult to say if it's something that has been done or if people are doing," said Jason Colby, a 19-year-old based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado who will be competing in his first Olympics. "And I guess that, scientifically speaking, it could work. But who knows what other teams are doing behind closed doors."
Kevin Bickner, who competed at the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022, told USA TODAY Sports he thinks the use of injections “certainly is possible."
