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Shelley Osterloh ReportingThere is disappointment and anger over a recent IOC decision to not allow women to compete in an Olympic event that men have competed in for over 80 years.
Despite overwhelming support for women's ski jumping, the International Olympic Committee refused to add women's jumping to the 2010 games.
Ski Jumping is the only winter Olympic sport in which women are not allowed to compete. US Ski jumpers say the IOC decision is an insult to all women; they call it blatant discrimination. Women from other sports seem to agree, it's about equal access to Olympic Sport.
Lindsey Van, US Ski Jumper: "It's a slam on all women, not just ski jumping, it's women in all sports, any woman fighting for women's rights. The door slammed right in our face."
Jessica Jerome, US Ski Jumper: "People need to know that this is what the IOC is doing and it's wrong."
Ranked 2nd and 3rd in the world last year, US ski jumpers Lindsey Van and Jessica Jerome had their hearts set on the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. It looked as if it would happen when FIS -- the International Ski Federation -- said women ski jumpers are qualified to compete, and requested they be added to the Olympics. So did the Vancouver organizing committee.
But the IOC decided not to include Women Ski Jumping saying, "their development is still in the early stage thus lacking the international spread of participation and technical standard required."
Instead, the IOC added a new sport -- ski cross -- which has fewer events and far fewer women athletes. The president of US Women's Ski Jumping says women have earned the right to compete in the Olympics.
Deedee Corradini, Pres. Women's Ski Jumping USA: "And to not include women's ski jumping where we have many more women competing in many more competitions for a longer period of time, that's hypocrisy."
All five women on the US team live and train in Park City. They insist their sport is as developed as other sports that have been added recently. Already 15 nations are competing in women's ski jumping.
Lindsey Van, US Ski Jumper: "At our level on continental cup we have anywhere from 50 to 60 girls competing, but there are 150 registered to compete at this level."
Women from other sports say it is wrong to deny women access.
Chris Witty, Speedskater, Five Time Olympian: "It doesn't sound fair to me. There is no reason to only invite men and not women, no reason."
Noelle, Pikus-Pace, Former World Cup Champion Skeleton: "For the women to be denied the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, that to me it's not right."
Though the decision is made, these women remain hopeful public pressure can change things.
Deedee Corradini, Pres. Women's Ski Jumping USA: "We are not giving up for 2010 we are going to fight."
Lindsey Van, US Ski Jumper: "There's strength in numbers. If we have enough people angry about this, maybe something can happen. "
I sent e-mails through the proper channels and tried to get more information from the IOC about why they refused women's ski jumping, but I got no response. I also tried to call a couple of IOC members in Europe, but they did not return my calls.
