Athletes Disqualified at 2026 Winter Olympics Over PFAS

In more than a century since their modern inception, the Olympic Games have weathered their fair share of chemical controversies. Whether it was athletes attempting to increase their strength through steroids or, more recently, unsubstantiated rumors of athletes inflating their genitalia with acid to allow for more airtime in ski jumping suits, the use of controlled substances is something the International Olympic Committee is very familiar with. However, three athletes found themselves disqualified from the 2026 Winter Olympics for a new reason: the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their ski wax.

PFAS in Ski Wax

PFAS have been used in ski and snowboard wax since the 1980s and became the most common performance-enhancing additives used in ski waxes from the 1990s through to the early 2020s due to their glide-enhancing properties. This use has come under scrutiny in recent years due to the negative health and environmental impacts of the chemicals. PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” accumulate in the body and can lead to increased rates of cancers, developmental defects, reproductive complications, and other concerns. PFAS can also build up in the environment, where they can pass into water systems, spreading the pollution beyond the initial site of exposure.

According to research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), fluorinated ski wax, or ski wax with PFAS, may pose a significant risk for those who wax skis and snowboards, as well as for those who spend significant time in spaces where the waxing occurs. Biomonitoring of ski wax technicians backs this up, as the NIH study cited findings that ski wax technicians “have among the highest known PFAS body burdens of any occupation studied to date.” This is due to the application method of the ski wax, where the wax is heated to over 120ºC, causing the wax to partially evaporate, creating volatile organic compounds that technicians often inhale.