FasterSkier

Tag: Women’s Ski Jumping

  • Women Ski Jumpers’ Legal Position ‘Misstated’ by VANOC

    Vancouver – The legal position of the women ski jumpers seeking to participate in their sport in the 2010 Olympics has been ‘misstated’ by VANOC in its response to their appeal arguments, according to Ross Clark, Q.C., legal counsel for the athletes and a partner with Davis LLP in Vancouver.

    “There are two fundamental constitutional concerns at issue in this appeal,” Clark explained with reference to arguments filed recently with the BC Court of Appeal.  “But oddly VANOC does not address those concerns – rather its arguments continue to address what it perceives the ski jumpers want.  This misstatement of what the athletes want is a common thread throughout their various arguments.

    “Our position is unambiguous.  The women ski jumpers say VANOC’s hosting of ski jumping events only for men denies them their right to the equal benefit of the law on the basis of their sex,” he pointed out.  “We appreciate that VANOC does not have the authority to add a women’s event, but this does not relieve VANOC of its obligation, as an entity carrying out a governmental activity, to comply with the Charter.”

    Clark explained that VANOC’s argument asserts that because the International Olympic Committee decided to include only men’s ski jumping and because the contracts oblige VANOC to comply with the IOC’s decision, there is no Charter violation.

    “With respect, that begs the real question: do VANOC’s mere contractual obligations to a foreign entity, not accountable to Canadians, trump VANOC’s constitutional obligations as an organization carrying out a government activity?” Clark said.  “The answer is clearly ‘no.’”

    Ski jumping is the only Olympic sport that does not have both men’s and women’s events.  In 2008, 15 elite women ski jumpers launched a lawsuit against VANOC seeking to participate in the 2010 Olympics.  The case was heard in April 2009 and that decision – which acknowledged the gender discrimination and VANOC’s status as a government entity – will be appealed in the BC Court of Appeal Nov. 12 and 13.

    Source: WSJUSA

  • No clear answer from IOC for women ski jumpers

    The following is a response to a letter sent to Dr. Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC, from the elite women ski jumpers seeking inclusion in the 2010 Olympics.

    Please find below the text of a letter we received today from IOC President Jacques Rogge. We are disappointed it does not address our specific query about the technical requirements we fail to meet, but we are not surprised. We are confident we do indeed meet all the universality and technical requirements needed to participate fully at the Olympics. We will now concentrate our efforts on the appeal of our legal case to be heard in the BC Court of Appeal Nov. 12 & 13.

    Regards,
    Anette Sagen, Norway, Ulrike Graesler, Germany, Jenna Mohr, Germany, Monica Planic, Slovenia, Lindsey Van, USA, Jessica Jerome, USA, Karla Keck, USA, Katie Willis, Canada, Marie-Pierre Morin, Canada, Meaghan Reid, Canada, Zoya Lynch, Canada, Jade Edwards, Canada, Nata de Leeuw, Canada, Charlotte Mitchell
    Dear Ladies,

    Thank you for your letter dated 4 September 2009.

    You have clearly made important strides to develop women’s ski jumping since our decision in 2006 – and in coming years we are open to considering women’s ski jumping for inclusion in future Olympic Winter Games. However, we remain convinced that our decision in 2006 was the correct one, based on the analysis of the event done at that time, and our position for the 2010 Games is unchanged.

    I am sure that with your passion for your sport and with the continued support of the International Ski Federation (FIS), your efforts to improve and develop women’s ski jumping globally will create a very compelling argument for the Olympic Programme Commission, when the winter programme is reviewed in the future.

    I am pleased that you agree that the inclusion of women’s ski jumping in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is a wonderful initiative and hopefully, with your help, the YOG can play a part in encouraging the next generation of young female athletes to take-up this exciting event.

    We continue to work, as Justice Fenlon noted, for “the inclusion of women in the Olympics and in amateur sports”, as well as in the fields of sports leadership and administration, and your commitment to your sport and its development will greatly assist in this domain. I wish you good luck during your competitions this up-coming season and thank you for your continued engagement to sport.

    Yours sincerely,
    Jacques Rogge

  • Women Ski Jumpers’ Lawyers File Appeal Argument

    Vancouver – Pointing out it is the Court’s duty to make sure the hosting of the 2010 Olympic Games complies with the Charter or declare it invalid if it does not, lawyers for the 14 elite women ski jumpers battling for inclusion in the 2010 Olympics filed their arguments with the BC Court of Appeal today.

    “We are not asking the Court to determine which sports are to be included in the Olympics – that is not its role, nor is it VANOC’s,” Ross Clark, Q.C., a partner at the Vancouver office of Davis LLP, explained.  “But it is for the Court to see that the hosting of the Games, and in particular the ski jumping events, complies with the Charter.”

    Clark said the women ski jumpers’ appeal is based on key errors in judgment at the BC Supreme Court.

    “The lower court judge found VANOC is carrying out a governmental activity in hosting the Olympics; that the hosting of ski jumping events for the Games is a benefit of the law; that VANOC is hosting ski jumping for men but not for women and this means the women are being discriminated against,” he said.  “We absolutely agree on those points.  But she failed to understand our position and the relief sought.  She considered whether the Court could order VANOC to host an Olympic ski jumping event for women and proceeded from there.

    “This was critically wrong.  We acknowledge VANOC doesn’t have the authority to do that without direction from the IOC,” Clark pointed out. “Our position has always been that since the Charter prohibits VANOC from hosting an unconstitutional ski jumping event – one with men only – VANOC must refuse to do so.”

    On Nov. 12 and 13, a three-judge panel will hear the appeal arguments in the Vancouver Law Courts.  For a PDF copy of the factum, go to www.courts.gov.bc.ca/Court_of_Appeal/index.aspx

  • Women Ski Jumpers Receive Response From Rogge

    The following letter from IOC President Jacques Rogge was recently received by the 14 elite women ski jumpers fighting for inclusion in the 2010 Olympic Games.

    Dear Ladies,

    Thank you for your letter. As you know, I admire your passion for your sport and your ability as athletes. This is underlined by the tenacious way in which you have campaigned for inclusion in the Vancouver Games. However, for a number of clear reasons, we confirm our decision that women’s ski jumping will not be part of the Olympic programme in February 2010.

    We are both in agreement that the inclusion of women’s boxing in the London 2012 Olympic Games is a great decision for the athletes involved and for the Olympic Movement as a whole. The inclusion of women’s boxing highlights the fact that the IOC is working hard to reach gender parity in winter and summer Games.

    It also underlines that the reason why we took the decision not to include women’s ski jumping was made strictly on a technical basis and absolutely not on gender grounds and was part of a process employed across all sports in the programme. The view of the Olympic Programme Commission, which considered the women’s ski jumping application, was that the event was not ready.

    As you point out in your letter, women’s ski jumping is growing and we are also trying to do our bit by including women’s ski jumping in the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games. Hopefully, together we can contribute to bringing more participants into the sport.

    As we’ve said since we made our decision in 2006, we remain open to considering women’s ski jumping for inclusion in future Olympic Winter Games and I am sure that your event will be able to make a very strong case the next time the FIS proposes it.

    Lastly, I note that you highlight the comments of the judge in making her judgement against the inclusion of women’s ski jumping in the next edition of the Winter Games. You will note that she also highlighted that the “IOC in recent years has supported the inclusion of women in the Olympics and in amateur sports and implemented a wide range of initiatives to increase women’s involvement in leadership and administration within the Olympic movement and the wider sporting community." You have my assurance that this progress will continue.

    Yours sincerely,

    Jacques Rogge

  • Women Ski Jumpers Write to IOC President

    The following is an open letter from a group of women ski jumpers once again asking for inclusion in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.  The women have been fighting to compete in the Games for over a year.

    Dear Dr. Rogge:

    We commend you and the International Olympic Committee Executive Board for your recent approval of the inclusion of women’s boxing in the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games. Your decision has made the Summer Games’ program gender-equal and the outpouring of positive response in the media indicates how ‘right’ that is for everyone, especially female athletes.

    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.  Our sport is now the only event in the International Olympic Committee’s Summer and Winter Games that does not have female competitors.  Since we launched our lawsuit 18 months ago, there has been overwhelming support for our cause from people all over the world.

    You know the facts of our case, but to re-cap: in 2006, when the FIS – which manages 48% of the Olympic Winter Games’ competitions — voted 114-1 to recommend our inclusion in the Olympics, your organization turned us down for 2010. At that time, 83 women ski jumpers from 14 nations were jumping at the elite level in the FIS Continental Cup, our highest level of competition granted by the FIS governing organization. That same year, your organization voted to accept skier cross, a totally new sport.  That meant that a sport with 30 female skiers from 11 nations at the World Cup level, was included, while we were excluded. At that time, there were also fewer female athletes participating in the World Cups in bobsleigh, luge, skeleton and snowboard cross and yet they participate in the Olympics as well (see numbers in our enclosed Fact Sheet).

    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.

    All we are asking for is one event in 2010, where our male teammates have three.

    Gender discrimination in ski jumping has been well documented. In her reasons released last month, the BC Supreme Court Judge stated, “The IOC made a decision that discriminates against the plaintiffs.  Only the IOC can alleviate that discrimination by including an Olympic ski jumping event for women in the 2010 Games.” You have the opportunity to add to your legacy as IOC President by indicating the time is now, and Canada is the place for gender equality in the Olympics. Medals awarded in our event would be meaningful medals, the competition would be spirited and the Olympic Movement would shine even brighter in the eyes of the world. Just imagine the appeal to fans of the Olympics in seeing women ski jumpers finally majestically flying through the air on the facilities already constructed in Canada.  John Furlong, president of VANOC has indicated his team “…will move heaven and earth to put on the event if instructed by the IOC.”

    As you also know, we have only resorted to a legal remedy because we felt we had no choice.  With your decision to include us in 2010, we would all be relieved of the need to continue our battle in the courts.

    We look forward to hearing from you and to celebrating mutual victories with you in 2010.

    Sincerely yours,

    Anette Sagen, Norway, Ulrike Graesler, Germany, Jenna Mohr, Germany, Monica Planic, Slovenia, Lindsey Van, USA, Jessica Jerome, USA, Karla Keck, USA, Katie Willis, Canada, Marie-Pierre Morin, Canada, Meaghan Reid, Canada, Zoya Lynch, Canada, Jade Edwards, Canada, Nata de Leeuw, Canada, Charlotte Mitchell, Canada