Women’s Ski Jumping added to Olympics
Posted Apr 6, 2011 2:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The International Olympic Committee has added women’s ski jumping, as well as four other new events, to the roster of events at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
15 year old Kayla Henrich of Calgary tells 660News, she’s been jumping for seven years and she’s excited about the opportunity to compete on the world stage.
“It makes us better athletes and gives us more motivation to compete well,” says Henrich. “I just guess it makes us want to be able to succeed in anything we do as athletes.”
Henrich adds she knew that women’s ski jumping would become an Olympic sport eventually.
“We’ve been jumping just as long as the men, actually,” notes Henrich. “I don’t know, before we couldn’t, but now we can so it proves women are just as equal now.”
The IOC twice rejected women’s ski jumping for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, claiming the sport lacked enough elite competitors. Women jumpers took their case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada but failed to overturn the IOC decision.
The International Olympic Committee Executive Board has also approved the ski halfpipe, mixed relay in biathlon and team events in luge and figure skating.
