Female jumpers sue for Olympic dream

December 19, 2008 – The world’s top women ski jumpers can set record after record this season. But since ski jumping is the only sport in the Winter Olympics that has no event for women, their distances and style points will not get them into the 2010 Vancouver Games.

A Canadian court could, however, if it rules in favor of a lawsuit filed by a group of jumpers trying to get women’s ski jumping into the next Winter Games.

Over the past three years, the athletes have gone from elation over expectations of an Olympic debut to the disappointment of being told that it wasn’t going to happen. Now the jumpers’ Olympic hopes appear to be somewhere between those extremes heading toward an April 20 date with the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said during a visit to Vancouver last winter that women’s jumping probably has a future in the Olympics, but not yet because the sport doesn’t have enough competitors to meet Olympic standards.

So, should women be allowed to jump in the 2010 Olympics? Get the facts.  And once you do, sign the online petition.