Acapulco, Mexico – The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), meeting this week in this Mexican beach resort, indicated Monday that they need more time to consider adding Women’s Ski Jumping and ski halfpipe to the calendar for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games to be held in Sochi, Russia.nIOC President Jacques Rogge, who previously rejected a bid recommended by the International Ski Federation (FIS) to hold Women’s Ski Jumping competitions at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, will make the final decision by the end of April after further examining the outcome of the Women’s Ski Jumping held at the World Championships in February in Oslo, Norway. The Executive Board also said it is considering the inclusion of Ski Slopestyle, Snowboard Slopestyle, Biathlon Mixed Team Relay, Figure Skating Team Event and Luge Team Relay for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
“We consider this a win and are looking forward to Oslo, where we know we will show the world the strength and depth of the women’s field and are even more optimistic about our inclusion in the Sochi 2014 Games,” said Deedee Corradini, Women’s Ski Jumping USA President.
The Executive Board didn’t elaborate on the exact criteria that needed to be met at the World Championships in Oslo, but said they wanted to see “progress made” since the last Championships in 2009.
Corradini pointed to two prior recommendations from the FIS to make Women’s Ski Jumping an Olympic Sport, as well as the fact that three World Championships will have taken place before 2014 and the sport’s new World Cup circuit starting in 2011-12. Since 2006, when the IOC turned down a women’s ski jumping event for 2010, at least three more countries have women ski jumpers competing at the elite level including Romania, Russia and China. A number of elite women ski jumpers filed a lawsuit in Canadian courts following the 2006 decision, alleging gender discrimination as ski jumping is the only Olympic sport unavailable to both men and women. While the judge in that case found evidence of discrimination, she also found that the court lacked jurisdiction over the IOC.
“I’m definitely not surprised about the delay. They are thinking about us positively and they didn’t say no. At least they are waiting to decide on all the events and not singling us out,” said U.S. jumper Lindsey Van, reigning World Champion. “Nothing changes for me. I’m still going to ski jump because I love it and I’m going to keep moving forward.”
The Executive board did say “no” on Monday to one event proposed for addition in 2014, the Alpine Skiing “Team” competition.
Despite the apparent indecision regarding Freestyle Skiing events, Canadian Freestyle Ski Association CEO Peter Judge remained cautiously optimistic on Monday that Ski Halfpipe will be included in the next Winter Games.
“Although we would have preferred to have a definitive statement today because it would have given us more time to turn the key and get the motor running for a National Halfpipe program, this is certainly not bad news and we remain extremely hopeful, and confident in the Canadian athletes and coaches who are working full-tilt in the hopes of meeting their eventual goal of competing at the Olympics,” Judge said.
Judge added that he believes that further evaluation by the IOC will continue to strengthen the case, not only for Ski Halfpipe, but possibly for Slopestyle as well.
Judge said the expansion of the Games to include Ski Halfpipe would give “significant visibility to a sport that has been laboring in the shadows a bit. Although Ski Halfpipe is already on the world stage with major events like the X Games, it is clear that the Olympic Games brings a much broader spectrum of attention and viewership to the sport. Its consideration by the IOC points to a continued revitalization and modernizing of the Games and a changing thought process inside the IOC to reach the youth market.”
The Snowboard version of Halfpipe debuted at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan and has become one of the marquee events of the Games, producing such icons as the U.S.A.’s Shaun White. Judge expects Ski Halfpipe to generate similar excitement and has high hopes for the Canadians who are consistently strong performers on the X Games and Dew Tour circuits.
He lamented, however, that the delay has a negative impact on possible funding options, and therefore possible team preparation, if Ski Halfpipe and Slopestyle eventually get the Olympic nod. In Canada, only Olympic disciplines are eligible for Own the Podium funding and, on the sponsorship side, Olympic status brings a level of legitimacy and saleability that helps to attract corporate dollars.