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PARK CITY — For the first time, women's ski jumping will be an Olympic sport, and Wednesday it was announced who will represent team U.S.A.
Ninety years after men started ski jumping in the Olympics, women are finally allowed to compete.
You would expect smiles at a press conference like this, but for ski jumper Lindsey Van, it was more than being named an Olympian. It was winning the battle just to be included.
"The political battlefield first, and then the athletic one, so it's been a roller coaster up and down," Van said.
Van was one of those involved in a lawsuit to get female jumpers in the Olympics. Now, in less than a month, it'll happen for the first time in history.
"It still doesn't feel real, and it's like, OK, we're going, but it's all very overwhelming," Van said.
Jessica Jerome and reigning world champion Sarah Hendrickson were officially put on the U.S. Olympic team Wednesday.
"I think we're all just really focused on doing what we came here to do," Jerome said.
Hendrickson had to overcome ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries to her knee after a crash in August.
"The ACL is still healing," she said. "I'm only at five months, and technically, it's a six-month rehab. So, that's why we're playing it a little bit safe with the number of jumps and stuff like that."
And even though it's extremely exciting for the three women to make the U.S. ski jumping team, one major concern they said they have involves security. It's something everybody going to Sochi is talking about.
"I think I speak for all of us that we trust they're doing everything they can," Jerome said. "This is the Olympics and the world is going to Sochi, but it's for sport. So, we hope for the best and we trust that everything is being taken care of."
For now, the athletes said their focus is not only on making history but trying to enjoy it as well.
