Ask Onix
Austrian jumper disqualified for equipment violation
Austrian ski jumper Daniel Tschofenig was disqualified from the men's large hill individual event at the 2026 Winter Olympics after officials found his boots exceeded the permitted size by four millimetres.
Tschofenig's reaction and missed opportunity
The 23-year-old, who had comfortably qualified for Saturday's final, described the mistake as "extremely stupid."
"I used new shoes in training, which, by the way, I wasn't very happy with, but I kept them," Tschofenig said. "Unfortunately, I was naive and didn't measure them. There was just so much stress going on. But rules are rules."
Tschofenig had posted a first-round score of 137.7 before his disqualification, which allowed Slovakia's Hektor Kapustik to advance to the final in his place.
Podium results and other Olympic controversies
Slovenia's Domen Prevc claimed gold in the event, with Japan's Ren Nikaido taking silver and Poland's Kacper Tomasiak earning bronze.
The incident follows reports of male ski jumpers injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises to manipulate suit measurements, allegedly to gain a competitive edge.
On Sunday, U.S. ski jumper Annika Belshaw was also disqualified from the women's large hill individual event after her skis were found to be more than one centimetre too long.
Olympic schedule and coverage
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina run from 6 to 22 February. Fans can watch live streams and highlights on BBC iPlayer (UK only), follow updates on BBC Radio 5 Live, and access live text commentary and video highlights via the BBC Sport website and app.
