Poem in Support of Female Ski Jumpers in 2010
You may have heard that on Friday November the 13th the female ski jumpers who are fighting to be included in the 2010 Winter Olympics, had their appeal denied.
In case you aren’t aware of the intricacies of the case let me give you a brief overview. Our courts have determined that female ski jumpers have been discriminated against because of their gender. The ruling on Friday was not about discrimination, which has been determined, but about whether or not the IOC falls under the jurisdiction of Canadian Law.
So at this point we are hosting games that our courts have found to be discriminatory against female athletes but our charter cannot be applied because the discriminatory decisions are being made outside of our country.
I would like to make a final plea to the IOC to add a female ski jumping event and I have two reasons why I think this should happen.
First and foremost is gender equality. This isn’t about ski jumping it is about the history of female sport and by simply adding one female ski jumping event Vancouver will be the first city in history to host a completely gender inclusive Olympics. That is something that Vancouverites can be proud of and that is something that Vancouverites and all Canadians should fight for. We talk about the legacy that the Olympics will leave, well as Canadians who honour our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, let us leave a legacy of equality on the Olympics by allowing us to add female ski jumping to our games.
Secondly, for the love of sport we should let these women jump. Think back to your most cherished memories in sport. Silken Lauman having her leg torn apart by an oar and against everyone’s expectations winning an Olympic medal. Or Simon Whitfield who crashed his bike during the inaugural triathlon in Sydney and came back against all odds to win the gold medal. The athletes who touch us the most are the ones who make it to the podium against all odds.
A lot of people are talking about tickets to the gold medal game in Hockey. What I want is a ticket to the female ski jumping event. If these women are allowed to compete you won’t find three more worthy and grateful Olympians on any podium.
Read more about the history of women in the Olympics by clicking on the link below and then go to www.wsj2010.com and sign the petition.
Help us spread the word. Help us fight to make the Vancouver 2010 Olympics the first gender inclusive Olympic games in History.
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