Let them jump and watch them fly - women's ski jumping part II

[suffragette]

I originally posted about the IOC keeping women from ski jumping here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7712962&mesg_id=7712962

Today, I saw a new article about another female ski jumper and a paragraph (pardon me) jumped out at me.

With no Olympic women's ski jumping, sister roots for her brother
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/olympics/2011132855_olyskijump20.html

IOC Chief Jacques Rogge has argued that not enough nations participate in the sport, and there's not enough depth among women. Another sticking point: to make room for the women, the men would have to give up some Olympic starting spots.



As seen in the earlier thread and brought up again in this article, there' plenty to counter the IOC's points about not enough nations or depth, particularly since other sports allowed have equal or fewer nations/ elite athletes in them.

Ah. but the sticking point. It provides new context for Rogge's assertion that the Olympic medals would somehow be "diluted" if women were allowed to participate. It also brings up strong reminders of Title IX arguments, that including women will somehow exclude men.

Of course, the IOC isn't subject to U.S. Title IX or apparently to Canadian law either as shown through the unsuccessful lawsuit the women brought, in which a Vancouver judge determined that the IC was discriminating, but Canadian law could not be applied to them.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106486162
Fifteen women sued the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympics because the Vancouver games are men-only when it comes to ski jumping. The women argued that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms bars gender discrimination by government agencies and groups performing government functions.

Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon ruled that the committee is governed by the anti-discrimination language in the Canadian Charter, but that it is not responsible for the exclusion of women from the ski jumping competition and is powerless to change that decision.

"The IOC made a decision that discriminates against the plaintiffs," Fenlon wrote. "Only the IOC can alleviate that discrimination by including an Olympic ski jumping event for women in the 2010 Games."

Fenlon added that the Canadian charter does not apply to a non-Canadian entity such as the IOC.


Still, they should be subject to their own charter, which the U.S. women's team quotes as saying: "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement." http://www.wsj2010.com/

Time to get "unstuck" Rogge, at least in time for the next games.

[Barack_America]

1. The IOC is in violation of their own charter as well.

Ski jumping is the ONLY Olympic sport, Summer or Winter, in which women are not allowed to compete.

Just let them jump already. This is ridiculous.

[suffragette]

2. They clearly are . though Rogge ties himself in knots trying to make

it sound like they aren't.

Just like they did back when they excluded women from the marathon.

Repeating your point, since it makes it plain:
Ski jumping is the ONLY Olympic sport, Summer or Winter, in which women are not allowed to compete.