Loading....
x
Karla Keck, left, director of the VISA U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Developmental Team, and Marie-Pierre Morin, former Canadian national champion, in Vancouver yesterday.
A generation of athletes will retire after training a lifetime in vain if women’s ski jumping is kept out of the 2010 Games, say a group of elite female jumpers.
They won’t quit because they want the next generation of women to compete in the sport they dedicated their lives to.
The sport has been in the Olympics since 1924, but has never had a women’s component, prompting nine female jumpers to sue the Vancouver Organizing Committee alleging it’s breaking equal rights laws.
Canadian jumper Marie-Pierre Morin trained in the United States because of a lack of support at home and eventually retired in frustration.
She said if the sport were allowed in 2010 she’d pick it up again, but waiting until 2014 might be too long.
Karla Keck, an American jumper, is in the same boat. The 32-year-old retired after a long career in which she achieved all her goals except the Olympics.
“It takes the wind out of you to keep going,” she said. “(Women) shouldn’t have to (explain) why they should be allowed to jump.”
American jumpers Lindsey Van, 23 and Jessica Jerome, 21, said it’s discouraging sacrificing social lives, time with family, travel and money knowing there’s an “arbitrary, if not sexist” stipulation keeping them from the Olympics.
“Many times I thought about quitting,” Van said. “The love of the sport kept me going.”
“I want to feel like everything I sacrificed was worth something,” Jerome added. “A lot of girls … have so many years left, but quit because there’s nothing else to strive for. There needs to be something more.”
–kristen.thompson@metronews.ca
more local stories
Gallery connecting children with arts
The venue is holding the second of a series of three Family Fuse weekends, a massive kid-oriented art event themed in relationship to the gallery’s current exhibits that features around 20 activities and performances.
Colbert declares Langley ‘peanut punter’ No. 1 threat
Late-night talk show comic Stephen Colbert has found a new gripe in the Lower Mainland — the Langley nut-kicker.
Bigger HST break eyed for new homes
To help lessen the impact the HST will have on B.C.’s real-estate market, the province is proposing increasing the threshold for the new housing rebate.
Mix one science centre, Facebook, get big party
New Vancouverite Fabiola Carletti has got making friends down to a science. Her formula? A novel birthday party idea and Facebook.
Vaccine available to all now
The largest mass vaccination in the province’s history expanded Friday to include everyone who wants an H1N1 flu shot, said Dr. Perry Kendall, the province’s chief medical health officer.
editor's picks
Nearly a third of the members of Parliament are on Twitter bandwagon
OTTAWA - Members of Parliament are scrambling to climb aboard the Twitter bandwagon - and getting elbowed by controversial, satirical and even phoney postings.
U.S. volunteers strive to save Santa letter service after Postal Service puts it on ice
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A group of volunteer Santa Claus "elves" in Alaska's frigid interior is determined to save a popular holiday letter service featuring the North Pole's most beloved icon.
Egypt, Algeria in a growing diplomatic row caused by their bitter soccer rivalry
CAIRO, Egypt - Egypt on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Algeria for consultations as part of a growing diplomatic row caused by a bitter soccer rivalry between the two Arab nations that has sparked violence among fans.
EU heads into new era with unknowns named to new president, foreign policy jobs
BRUSSELS - The EU says it has solved an old problem for Washington.
Finance minister proposes code of conduct for credit-and debit-card companies
OTTAWA - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is proposing a voluntary code of conduct for credit-and debit-card companies that he says will "level the playing field" for consumers and small businesses alike.
Copyright 2001-2009, Free Daily News Group Inc.