ARTICLE · 27 FEBRUARY 2026

Precision Matters: What The Olympic "PFAS Ban" Gets Right — And Wrong

Bergeson & Campbell

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Recent headlines have declared that the Olympics have "banned PFAS," with athletes reportedly disqualified after testing revealed the presence of so-called "forever chemicals" on their equipment.

United StatesEnvironment

L. Claire Hansen

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Recent headlines have declared that the Olympics have "banned PFAS," with athletes reportedly disqualified after testing revealed the presence of so-called "forever chemicals" on their equipment. The reality is more nuanced, and that nuance matters.

The policy at issue does not originate with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but with the International Ski Federation (FIS), which governs ski and snowboard competitions under its International Competition Rules (ICR). FIS has prohibited the use of fluorinated ski wax and tuning products in competition. Enforcement relies on testing for the presence of fluorine on the base of skis. That distinction — fluorinated wax versus "PFAS" — is not semantic nitpicking. It is the core issue.

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