What injecting hyaluronic acid into your penis actually does to body amid Olympic skiing controversy
Injecting the substance can give athletes a sporting advantage
The idea of injecting hyaluronic acid into your penis might be a traumatic thought in itself, but believe it or not, the practice is actually at the centre of the controversial 'penis gate' at this year's Winter Olympics.
Ahead of the opening ceremony, taking place on Friday (February 6), officials are implementing some changes to make sure there are no rule breaches among ski jumpers.
In a bizarre scandal, German publication Bild reported earlier this month that ski jumpers were enlarging their genital area at the 2025 Nordic World Ski Championships in Norway by using substances such as hyaluronic acid.
Athletes essentially want a larger crotch so they can wear a bigger ski jumping suit. Doing so can generate more lift and ultimately give them a greater advantage.
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However, officials have put certain measure into place, with stars now having to go through advanced 3D body suit measurements to ensure there's nothing untoward taking place.
Tamper proof microchips are then installed in the suits to prevent any kind of manipulation.
If anyone has bent the rules, a yellow and red card system will take place. Those disqualified will receive a yellow card, which will be upgraded to red for any further violations.
This will result in disqualification from the following event as well as the team losing a skier slot, as per The Sun.
So what exactly happens if you inject hyaluronic acid into your penis?
Professor Eric Chung, a urological surgeon explained to the Guardian that while injecting the penis with hyaluronic acid can make it bigger in terms of girth, you would 'need to inject a lot of hyaluronic acid'.
Added to that, doing so can carry significant risks both short term and long term.
“Poorly injected technique or incorrect dose would cause penile pain, poor cosmesis [disfigurement], deformity, infection, inflammation, sensory change, and sexual dysfunction," said Professor Chung.
"In rare instances, infection can spread to cause gangrene (tissue necrosis) and loss of the penis.”
Bruno Sassi, a spokesman for the international ski federation, FIS told the Associated Press: "There have been disqualifications in the past, many. It’s part of the sport. But there had never been that kind of a brazen attempt to not only bend the rules, but like downright do something ... to cheat the system in a way that it is very different from simply having a suit that is a tad too long or a tad too loose."
Lucy Devine