A judge in British Columbia today ruled against 15 women ski jumpers who sued to be included in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon found the International Olympic Committee’s exclusion of women in ski jumping is discriminatory but stopped short of ordering the Vancouver Organizing Committee to make a place for them.
Ski jumping is the only male-only sport in the Winter Games.
“We did everything possible, followed the rules, grew the sport, held world championships, and the IOC remained opposed to including women in ski jumping,” said Deedee Corradini, a former Salt Lake City mayor who is president of Women’s Ski Jumping-USA. “We won’t give up until women’s ski jumping is in the Olympics, but it’s unfortunate this legal effort failed and they won’t be in 2010.”
Only the IOC can alleviate the discrimination against the women ski jumpers, Fenlon concluded.
“There will be little solace to the plaintiffs in my finding that they have been discriminated against,” Fenlon wrote in her decision. “There is no remedy available to them in this Court.”
The women ski jumpers now will consider whether to appeal today’s decision.
“We did the best we could, and all we can do is hope for a better outcome in the future,” said one of the plaintiffs, Jessica Jerome of Park City, Utah. “Of course it’s extremely disheartening. I feel like we were trying to do the right thing to advance the sport as a whole, not just for the girls currently competing, but for the upcoming generation as well.”
Women’s ski jumping made its world championships debut this year in Liberec, Czech Republic.
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
