In the continuing saga that surrounds women’s ski jumping, the various players are at different points in their push to be part of the in the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.
For Jessica Jerome, a native Parkite and member of the U,.S. Women’s Ski Jumping, it has become second nature always there, yet something that she can’t worry about day to day. In fact, she just learned about the April 20 court date in Vancouver. The court appearance will give the female jumpers the opportunity to argue that keeping them out of the Games is a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and will likely be the women’s last chance to get in the Games.
But with the Continental Cup season in full swing, she isn’t worried about that. She says, “My job is to jump,” and right now, it’s the probably the most important thing she and the other jumpers around the world can do to prove that they are ready to join their male counterparts on the Olympic scene.
“We’re really excited for World Championships and were focused on that,” Jerome said.
The 2009 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, mark the female jumpers’ first triumph against the big boys of skiing. Two years ago, the International Ski Federation (FIS) voted to allow women jumpers to compete in the championships for the first time in history. So, the women are focused on proving to the world that they deserve to be there, and maybe, just maybe, convince a few more International Olympic Committee (IOC) members that they deserve to be at the Olympics as well.
Thus far, the IOC doesn’t seem to agree, which is where the lawsuit comes in. The jumpers are looking for any way to prove that they deserve to be in the Olympics and gender discrimination is one of the most important reasons.
Which leads us to Canadian Ross Clark, the lawyer representing the jumpers, who will go before a British Columbia, Canada Supreme Court judge next spring. Clark, who was in Park City two weeks ago for a Continental Cup ski jumping competition at the Utah Olympic Park, is at the other end of the spectrum from Jerome. It is his job to think about the jumpers’ case a lot. He is representing the women pro bono, but has the full support from his law firm and is fully entrenched in the cause.
Clark came aboard last spring, when he met DeeDee Corradini through a mutual friend and learned about the female jumpers’ plight. Since the court date has been set he has had plenty to prepare for. According to Clark, the fight isn’t against the IOC or even the Canadian government. The fight goes right to the heart of the Vancouver Olympic Games. The jumpers are alleging that the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) is bound by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender.
“We’re saying it’s discrimination,” said Clark about keeping the women out of the Games.
VANOC’s position is that they are not part of the government and therefore not bound by the Canadian constitution.
Clark answers that they are very tightly tied and deeply involved, based on the provincial and municipal government departments that are provided services leading up to and during the Games.
The case has been gaining plenty of publicity in Vancouver and it continues to grow.
“I think that’s the most important part of the case,” Clark said. “Public opinion matters.”
Corradini, who also attended the Continental Cup, chimed in that it matters most for the biggest players.
“The IOC (International Olympic Committee) cares a lot about their image and so does VANOC,” she said. “This is the sport issue of the Vancouver Games. It reflects on them and they care.”
Corradini said that the jumpers and their supporters are not giving up and neither is Clark. Although he doesn’t have much contact with the women besides watching them compete and few chats here and there, it is his job to worry about the case and he is prepared to go to bat for the women in next year’s Olympics.
“I think they have very good arguments to make,” Clark said.