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Editor’s Choice: 14 February 2018
(Milan, Italy) — The Winter Olympics has an awkward controversy that has became known as “Penisgate,” involving several ski jumpers and their competition suits. Officials noticed unusual bulges in the athletes’ uniforms, prompting an investigation into whether the suits had been altered to gain an aerodynamic advantage. In ski jumping, even the smallest changes in fit can impact lift and distance, and the governing body strictly regulates suit design to keep the playing field level.
Reports said that some jumpers were injecting hyaluronic acid into their private parts in hopes of flying further. Hyaluronic acid is commonly used for cosmetic injections in your face. Some common names include Juvéderm and Restylane. Many women receive injections to help fill wrinkles.
In the meantime, after inspections, several athletes were disqualified for violating equipment rules, with officials saying the suits created an unnatural profile that exceeded allowable limits. The incident sparked plenty of snickering on social media, but it also raised serious questions about enforcement, fairness, and how far competitors are willing to go to gain an edge. Olympic organizers defended the rulings, stressing that the rules are about performance, not embarrassment — even if the optics turned the moment into one of the most talked-about sideshows of the Games.
