16:45. On Wednesday afternoon, Norwegian ski jumping boss Jan-Erik Aalbu gave another press conference. The International Ski Federation (FIS) had just suspended athletes Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, as well as team coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and technician Adrian Livelten.
“There is no new information that was not known when I held the press conference recently. It is important for me to make this known”, he declared.
Jan-Erik Aalbu said he had received a voluminous document. ” We’re going to spend the evening analysing it, while making sure we support the athletes,” he said.
The team manager made it clear that he did not expect them to be banned. In fact, Johann Andre Forfang was on his way to Oslo, the venue for the next competition. He turned back. Neither he nor his team-mate will be taking part in Raw Air.
“I’ve spoken to them. They’re obviously very disappointed,” revealed the manager.
It should be remembered that they jumped with non-compliant combinations during the large jump competition at the Trondheim World Championships. Norway admitted cheating. Lindvik, 2nd in the rankings, and Forfang, 5th, said they knew nothing about it.
Earlier in the day, the Polish Ski Federation demanded “the temporary suspension of the Norwegian coaching team and the disqualified athletes until the matter has been fully investigated by the FIS Ethics Commission”.
The FIS will hold its own press conference on the subject at 2.30pm on Thursday in Oslo. ” The situation is obviously extremely worrying”, its General Secretary, Frenchman Michel Vion, has already commented.
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