Five women were unable to compete due to jumpsuit specifications passed by the International Ski Federation.
Monday’s Olympic mixed-team ski jump final was marred by the controversial disqualification of five athletes—all women—due to concerns over the fit of their jumpsuits.
Sara Takanashi (Japan), Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (Austria), Katharina Althaus (Germany) and Anna Odine Stroem and Silje Opseth (Norway) were not allowed to compete. Slovenia went on to win the gold in the pared-down field, with the Russian Olympic Committee and Canada taking home silver and bronze.
The skiers’ suits were disqualified after being checked by officials. According to NPR, the jumpsuits were “reportedly too large, potentially giving them an unfair advantage as they soared though the air.”
Some of the disqualified athletes said that they wore the same jumpsuits for earlier events without incident, including Takanashi, whose coach said her suit was “supposedly too big around the thighs,” per Japan's NHK. Opseth told Norwegian outlet VG that her suit was measured differently before the disqualification than it had been at other events.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) update its guidelines in November, to state that, “The jumping suit must in all places and parts be tight-fitting the athlete's body.” The rules outline the allowed tolerance in the athletes' suits, measured with the athletes standing upright, and go into detail on allowable underwear and where seams on the suits can be located.
“We were looking forward to the second competition at the Olympics. FIS destroyed that with this action—they destroyed women’s ski jumping,” Althaus told reporters, per Reuters. “Our names are now there and we just pulled the crap card. That is how you destroy nations, development and the entire sport.”
Clas Brede Bråthen, a former Norwegian ski jumper who now serves as the country's team manager, called Monday one of the sport's “darker days.”
"I am sorry on behalf of ski jumping. This is something we should have cleaned up in before the Olympics,” he said, per Reuters. "I'm lost for words, really. This is very painful for the athletes. I'm in pain on behalf of our sport. We were going to introduce a new event. The girls were to get a new event in the Olympics, and that's how it ends. And why are only girls being disqualified?"
Aga Baczkowska of the FIS told Norway's NRK that the inspections followed the new rules, and stated that team’s are responsible for ensuring jumpsuit compliance for events.
More Olympics Coverage: