Two skiers disqualified from Winter Olympics after using banned item

The 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off last Friday (6 February), and there have already been a whole bunch of headline-making moments.

From the 'penis-enlarging' scandal and the athlete who performed an 'illegal' move that was banned over 50 years ago, all the way through to Sturla Holm Laegreid's bombshell cheating revelation, it's clear this major sporting event is not without its controversies.

And the latest addition to the list follows two South Korean cross-country skiers who have now been disqualified from the Winter Olympics after they were reportedly caught using a banned item.

Now, as we know, there are set rules when it comes to competing on the world stage, and one of those rules includes not using a banned type of wax, which was found on Han Dasom and Lee Eui-jin's skis.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has since announced that the pair of athletes have been disqualified from the qualification round for the women's classic sprint after their equipment 'tested positive for fluor' - AKA fluorinated ski wax.

South Korean skiers, Han Dasom (pictured) and Lee Eui-jin, has been disqualified from the Winter Olympics (Tom Weller / Contributor / Getty Images)

For context, FIS announced a ban on fluor in 2019, which took full effect in the 2023/2024 season, with skis now being checked in a test area, often near the finish line.

Fluor, which is water-repellent and was originally used on sailboats to make them glide better, was banned due to its detrimental impact on both the environment and human health.

The banned substance doesn't biodegrade, making it a 'forever chemical'. It can also harm ski technicians who apply the wax using hot irons, often in poorly ventilated spaces.

The FIS has said that Han and Lee had allegedly violated a rule that bans fluor wax because it 'can be a competitive advantage'.

Neither Han nor Lee, who are ranked 157th and 158th in the World Cup standings respectively, were considered contenders for medals in Tuesday’s race (10 February) earlier this week.

Han and Lee (pictured) weren't considered contenders for medals in Tuesday’s race (Emmanuel Wong / Contributor / Getty Images)

The Chosun Daily reports that the Korea Ski & Snowboard Association said the products had been used without issues.

A source from the association reportedly told Newsis: "The athletes' products are not fluorine wax. They tested negative in all previous international competitions with no prior issues. We are also perplexed."

"Such cases occur occasionally, and it seems we’ve been caught this time. It’s absurd," they added. "We will consult experts from wax and ski manufacturers to investigate whether the issue lies with the wax or skis."

Tyla has reached out to the Korea Ski Association for comment.

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