A ski racing scandal arose when the United States team was caught with a suspicious bottle during a sprint event, leading to questions about possible rule violations.
During a men's sprint competition, service teams from Norway and the United States were accused of breaching International Ski Federation (FIS) rules. The U.S. team was reported to have brought a liquid-filled bottle to the sprint heats, which was suspected to contain liquid glide wax. Meanwhile, Norway allegedly introduced an electric waxing machine to the service area, further stirring controversy. According to FIS regulations, teams are not allowed to tamper with the glide areas once the heats have commenced.
The U.S. team later apologized, claiming the contents of the bottle were meant for hand sanitization. However, this explanation did not sit well with Heikki Tonteri, the head of waxing for the Finnish ski team, who shared an image of the bottle on Instagram, suggesting that it was peculiar for a hand sanitizer to have a cork lid. His post prompted skepticism and further questioning regarding the legitimacy of the U.S. team's claim, especially since it was noted that a cleaner for removing wax might be more plausible.
Skiing expert Harri Kirvesniemi expressed confusion over the detail in Tonteri's shared image, reinforcing the suspicions surrounding the U.S. team's actions and the integrity of the competition. This incident has sparked widespread discussion among the skiing community about the fairness and adherence to regulations in competitive skiing, underlining the importance of sportsmanship in maintaining the sport's integrity.
