In 2009, a handful of women’s ski jumpers took their frustrations to court, attempting to sue their way into the 2010 Olympics. They found some sympathy from the court, but the legal case was always a long shot:
(The court) didn’t rule in favor of the plaintiffs because the Olympic program is set by the IOC. With that in mind, Canadian law against discrimination can’t apply because VANOC can’t stage an Olympic ski jumping event without the IOC.
In theory, the court could find in favor of the plaintiffs and force VANOC to give up on ski jumping altogether, cancelling the event or moving it to another country. No one expects that to happen. The idea of the suit, Corradini says, is to force the IOC to add the women’s event to save the men’s event.
Though they incurred the wrath of condescending Canadian IOC-crat Dick Pound, women’s ski jumpers finally made it to the Olympics in Sochi. Then a few days after the Olympics ended, I did a massive purge of filing cabinets (long story) and came up with a folder that included the complaint in question — Sagen v. Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
So what happened to the plaintiffs in the suit? How many made it down the ramp in Sochi? Here’s a look:
– Anette Sagen (Norway; misspelled as “Annette” on the complaint): Dominant in the mid-2000s, Sagen was injured in 2012 and didn’t get back in form to make the Norwegian team. She went to Sochi as a guest of the Norwegian federation.
– Daniela Iraschko (Austria): Now Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, the 2011 world champion won the silver medal in Sochi.
– Jenna Mohr (Germany): Retired/pushed out of the sport in 2012 after losing form and financial support.
– Lindsey Van (USA): The 2009 world champion hasn’t been in great form lately but finished a solid 15th.
– Jessica Jerome (USA): One of the leaders in movement to get ski jumping in the Games finished 10th.
– Ulricke Grassler (Germany): The runner-up to Van in the 2009 World Championships recovered from an emergency appendectomy in August to compete on the World Cup circuit and in the Olympics.
– Monika Planinc (Slovenia): Retired in 2009.
– Marie-Pierre Morin (Canada): No results in FIS database.
– Karla Keck (USA): Last competed in 2006.
– Nathalie De Leeuw (Canada): Last competed in 2009 World Championships.
– Katherine Willis (Canada): Retired in 2009.
– Jade Edwards (Canada): Not active; no results in FIS database.
– Zoya Lynch (Canada): Last competed in 2008 Continental Cup.
– Charlotte Mitchell (Canada): Still only 19; competed in 2014 World Junior Championships.
– Meaghan Reid (Canada): No results in FIS database.
Duresport.com 