Ski jumpers renew inclusion bid

Eurosport - Wed, 19 Aug 16:00:00 2009

Female ski jumpers have written to the IOC president Jacques Rogge in a renewed bid to gain Winter Olympic inclusion, following the decision to add women's boxing to the London 2012 schedule.

SKI JUMPING Katie Willis - 0

Last month, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled against the 15 ski jumpers who challenged Vancouver 2010 organisers on the grounds their exclusion was contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon sympathised with the athletes but ruled it was not within her power to overturn a ruling, which was ultimately that of the IOC and not accountable to the Charter.

That appeared to bring an end to the matter but following the decision to add women's boxing to London 2012 - which ensures that all 26 Summer Olympic sports are now contested by both sexes - the female ski jumpers believe new life has been breathed into their case.

"Your decision has made the Summer Games' programme gender-equal and the outpouring of positive response in the media indicates how 'right' that is for everyone, especially female athletes," the letter reads.

"The world would cheer even louder if you took the final step to allow women ski jumpers to compete in the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games in 2010."

At present, there are three disciplines - two ski jumping events and one Nordic Combined - which are only contested by men on the Winter Olympic programme.

The IOC have refused to grant female ski jumpers their wish on the grounds their sport has not developed enough across the globe as well as the fact there has only been one World Championships (according to the IOC there must be at least two before Olympic inclusion).

But the female ski jumpers insist the IOC's argument is flawed.

"Since 2006, our universality has increased substantially, and we now have close to 100 women from 18 countries competing at the elite level, again ahead of many of the Olympic sports we should be compared to," the letter continues.

"All we are asking for is one event in 2010, where our male team-mates have three."

This is not the first time the 15 athletes have appealed to the IOC however. In March the plaintiffs appealed to Rogge at the SportAccord in Denver, but their plea on deaf ears.

More Than The Games / Eurosport

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