Let the women jump, too

The International Ski Federation has a lot of explaining to do. Either that, or its members ought to take a flying leap off a ski jump — and land somewhere back a century or two.

Imagine this: In 2005, the winter sports that include ski jumping — the nordic combined and ski jumping itself — remain the only ones that exclude all women from Olympic competition, and there is no definite end to this discrimination in sight.

Women jumpers, including Utah's own Jessica Jerome and Lindsay Van, have had to literally sleep in barns and huts at various places around the world to jump against others while the brethren of the sport are in nice hotels.

Quite frankly, the excuses are growing thin. They've gone from the tired old concerns about the delicate nature of the female anatomy (some allegedly once worried about harming reproductive organs, something that hasn't been an issue in women's wrestling or ice hockey), to worries that not enough countries field athletes to make a competition legitimate. Meanwhile, many women who have dedicated much of their lives to training and excelling in the sport, including Utahns, are watching the clock tick away on their best athletic years.

U.S. jumpers, with the active support and involvement of former Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini, have formed a group called Women's Ski Jumping USA. The goal is to work with ski associations and clubs worldwide to build a momentum that will be impossible for the Ski Federation to ignore. Already, 14 nations have female ski jumpers ready for competition. If all goes well, the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will be the first to allow the women. It's already too late for the International Olympic Committee to consider them for 2006.

This isn't the first time the issue has come up. Glaciers move faster than this. At one time, the women hoped to be included at the Salt Lake Olympics. Instead, women's bobsledding was added. While that was a welcome addition, there is no rational reason to forbid women from competing in any winter sport.

As for worries about a lack of competitors, bobsledding ought to serve as a model. There were few female athletes in that sport, either, until the announcement that it would become an Olympic sport. Then the field was quickly populated. Ski jumping already is ahead of the pace in that regard.

Last summer, the first Women's Continental Cup was held in Park City. That is still a step below a World Cup event, which would be the next step toward an Olympics. But it was a step, nonetheless. Perhaps now enough pressure can be placed on sponsors and other influential people to pry loose the ice jam at the International Ski Federation.