**Welcome Instapundit Readers. Once done here, please feel free to look around the Tammy Blog.**
Tammy Blog received this email today in response to the campaign aimed at the International Ski Federation to reverse their ban on women competing in the ski jump. It looks like your calls and emails urged in my original post have had a rather rapid effect. I also want to thank Glenn at Instapundit for spreading the word about my post. His note made the issue explode.
This release is typical. Take a look and you’ll have my comments at the end.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Apparently a U.S. TV network has distributed wrong information about Ladies’ Ski Jumping. The FIS President, who since many years strongly supports Ladies’ Ski Jumping, informs as follows:
The 2004 FIS Congress supported Ladies’ Ski Jumping and decided to introduce as from 2005/2006 a Ladies’ Ski Jumping Event at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships and to organise also a special Continental Cup Series for Ladies’ Ski Jumping. Based on the experiences gained during the season 2005/2006 the FIS Congress will have to decide in May 2006, if Ladies’ Ski Jumping shall also be introduced as from 2009 in the programme of the open World Ski Championships.
Should the FIS Congress in May 2006 decide to include Ladies’ Ski Jumping in the programme of the 2009 FIS World Ski Championships, the FIS will immediately submit a request to the International Olympic Committee to include Ladies’ Ski Jumping also in the programme of the Olympic Winter Games as from the 2010 Games in Vancouver.
INTERNATIONAL SKI FEDERATION
Communications Department
—————————————————-
International Ski Federation
Blochstrasse 2
CH-3653 Oberhofen / Thunersee
Switzerland
Phone: +41 33 244 61 61
Fax: +41 33 244 61 71
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:INTERNATIONAL SKI FEDERATION
Sarah Lewis
Secretary General
First, they say a US TV network distributed “wrong” information about FIS president Gian Franco Kasper’s postion about women’s ski jumping. ABC simply reported Kasper’s quote during an NPR interview, which was quote specific when it came to his reasoning for banning women from Olympic ski jumping.
They then go on to praise themselves for a limited number of women’s and girls ski jump events beginning only this season, which means, of course, they haven’t existed up until now.
Bottom line, no one got anything “wrong,” and the comments of their president were clearly accurate when it came to explaining the inexplicable–applying a backward and sexist 1950s mentality to 21st century women athletes. This is completely unacceptable.
Continue to apply the heat suggested in my original post. Let everyone know that sponsor contacts will continue with the demand that the ban on women ski jumping is lifted, with an inclusion of Women’s Ski Jumping in the 2009 FIS World Ski Championships and the 2010 Olympics.
Nothing less will do.
As their email notes, their World Championship decision will be made in May of this year, giving us plenty of time to make sure everyone knows the consequences of their blatant discrimination against women.
Great work everyone, and let’s keep it going.
Amazing! “FIS President, who since many years strongly supports Ladies’ Ski Jumping”. This guy doesn’t even have the manhood to stand behind his original statements. Looks like a classic case of saying what the people want to hear. Patronizing.
If women can compete in the pole vault during the summer games they are more than capable to compete in the ski jump during the winter games. And those women pole vaulters are absolutly beautiful!
My daughter jumps 5 to 6 days per week, year-round – on snow and plastic She has been jumping for five years. Last summer, she was denied the opportunity to jump in a young boys’ ski jumping event in Europe, although she qualified to compete in it. She was allowed to forejump, instead. If she had been in the actual competition, she would have ranked fourth in the WORLD among the boys her age. It is my sincere hope that she will be able to celebrate her 18th birthday (February 13th) on the podium in Vancouver in 2010! She deserves the chance – and the right!