Five women have been disqualified in the ski jumping mixed team event at the Beijing Olympics for wearing loose fitting outfits.
The judges deemed that the loose fitting outfits gave the women an advantage as they flew through the air. Skiing has strict rules surrounding outfit requirements, and states that loose sleeves can act as ‘wings’ while in the air.
The German team were disqualified in the first round because of team member Katharina Althaus’s outfit. Althaus’s has shared her devastation over the ruling on Instagram.
“160 World Cup starts, 5x World Championships, 3x Olympic Games and I got DSQ for the first time. My heart is broken,” the Olympian wrote in an IG story alongside a photo of her teammates.
“Athletes and their dreams were destroyed. I’m sorry but in 11 years I’ve NEVER been disqualified!!!” She added.
“I am so disappointed and angry. We really gave everything to be here and all showed our best jumps. I’m devastated and can’t understand it,” she added in an Instagram post translated from German.
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Elaborating on her disappointment, the athlete told German sports agency SID that she believes the the Federation of International Skiing “destroyed everything”.
“We were so happy to have a second event (for women) here at the Olympics,” Althaus was quoted as saying.
“The FIS destroyed everything with this operation. I think they have destroyed women’s ski jumping. I don’t know what they’re trying to do.”
“I have been checked so many times in 11 years of ski jumping, and I have never been disqualified once, I know my suit was compliant,” she added.
Althaus manager has questioned why the issue wasn’t cleared up before the games.
“The disappointment is of course huge but the rules have to be accepted,” said German coach Stefan Horngacher.
“It is just strange that they have been using the same suits yesterday and there was no problem,” continued Horngacher.
“It is annoying that this happens at the Winter Olympic Games. This should all be cleared before,” he said, adding that it was “not good for the sport”.
The other four women who were disqualified in the event were from Japan, Norway and Austria teams.
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