Sports

Women Ski Jumpers to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

by Barbara McPherson | December 1, 2009 at 07:30 pm

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Women ski jumpers are taking their appeal to the supreme court of Canada regarding their exclusion from the 2010 Olympics. They are hoping that the Supreme Court of Canada will hear their appeal in time for them to compete in February 2010.

Sun Media has learned that lawyers for 13 female ski jumpers will ask the Supreme Court of Canada on Tuesday afternoon for leave to appeal a Nov. 13 decision by the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

B.C.'s highest court said it had no power to force VANOC to host a women's ski jumping competition at the 2010 Games because the International Olympic Committee -- a foreign body not covered by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms -- has sole control over Olympic sports programming. The tribunal upheld a July verdict by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon.

To date, the taxpayers, both men and women have paid $122.4 million towards facilities to support the Olympics. The constitution of Canada demands gender equality. The women argue that if the sport of ski jumping is offerred to the men then logically it should be offerred to the women. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled that the International Olympic Committee is not bound by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The women ski jumpers are world class athletes who compete on the world competitive circuit.

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Amy Judd

at 19:49 on December 1st, 2009

I just don't understand why they aren't allowed to compete, maybe it's just me, but it all seems so silly to me, just let them compete already!!

Simon Russell (not verified)

at 00:11 on December 2nd, 2009

The IOC may be outside of our constitution but the line between the olympics and government policy seems to be pretty fuzzy. However, tax funded VANOC wont allow artists freedom of expression and the assistance to shelter or 'olympic kidnapping act' are ruffling feathers that can be settled with the courts....just not in time. I should probably get to that designated freespeech zone early; the way everything is going there's going to be a lineup.