“We are very pleased to be progressing in our lawsuit and this date allows enough time for the women’s event to be added to the 2010 program,” Corradini said. “Of course, we would far rather not have to resort to the courts to have women ski jumpers at the 2010 Games. It would be such a point of pride for VANOC to host the first gender-equal Olympics in history.”
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in November 2006 opted to add Ski Cross to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, but declined to approve the inclusion of Women's Ski Jumping to the event list.
"It's really hard to understand the decision on women's ski jumping," U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) president and CEO Bill Marolt said at the time. "This is a sport in which women have participated at the highest levels for many years. It has an established international competition circuit with a strong pool of athletes."
The IOC had indicated that women's jumping was not yet global enough with enough nations or participants. Ski jumping and nordic combined are the two ski sports which have no Olympic women's events, but there is no formal nordic combined women's circuit while women's jumping is now in its fifth year as a Continental Cup schedule after several seasons as a Women's Grand Prix tour.
"We're disappointed in the decision of the IOC as we have felt that the athletes had progressed over the past decade to a position where the sport was ready for Olympic participation," Marolt had added.
The lawsuit names the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) as respondent because the organization is the host of the events, Ross Clark, Q.C., the attorney representing the jumpers explained. “The statement of claim asks the Court to allow women’s as well as men’s ski jumping events to go ahead in Vancouver in 2010,” he said. “From now until our hearing date in April, we will focus on examining documents we have requested from VANOC and discovering representatives of VANOC for evidence.”
“There are certainly more than enough qualified women jumping from more than enough countries,” Corradini pointed out. “The women are ready and we have tried to communicate that to the International Olympic Committee, but to no avail. We were forced to conclude it is a matter of discrimination and decided we had no choice but to launch a lawsuit.
“As an organization, we represent women ski jumpers in the United States, but in this case a discrimination suit in the jurisdiction of the next Olympic Winter Games had to be filed,” Corradini explained. “In spirit, the action represents women ski jumpers world-wide and we are determined to fight for their equal rights.”
VANOC has refused comment since the lawsuit was filed in May, instead referring inquiries to a review of pleadings filed with the court. "VANOC respects the Court and its process and has confidence that its ruling on this case will be fair and proper. Meanwhile, VANOC looks forward to hosting both male and female ski jumpers at Whistler Olympic Park for training in the 2008-2009 season," VANOC said in a prepared statement at that time. The 10 top-ranked female ski jumpers who are plaintiffs include Anette Sagen (Norway), Lindsey Van, Jessica Jerome and Karla Keck (USA), Ulrike Grassler and Jenna Mohr (Germany), Monica Planinc (Slovenia), Daniela Iraschko (Austria) and Canadians Marie-Pierre Morin and Zoya Lynch.
