Jump around

I know it's been a long time since the Olympics ended. I missed them a lot at first, but part of the reason they're so special is that they happen only once every four years. So, I haven't exactly been sitting around pining for them, but something has been bugging me...

Why is there no women's ski jumping?
Every other sport has both a male and female competition, but what about ski jumping? Spike made me read an article in Sports Illustrated about Lindsey Van, the best female ski jumper in the world, and it made me really angry. In it, they compare Lindsey Vonn, the golden girl of the Vancouver games (gag me), to Lindsey Van, the 2009 world champion of women's ski jumping. While Vonn was able to enjoy the limelight at the Olympics and will probably make millions from endorsements, Van remained at home, unable to compete, a complete unknown. Van is just as successful, if not more, at her sport, so why can't she be included in the Olympics?

The fight to include women ski jumpers began in 1998 and escalated to the Canadian courts last year where the decision was made that the IOC didn't have to include them. The rationale the IOC has provided for their decision is that there aren't enough competitors. But 39 women from 13 countries competed in last year's world championships—more than those at the world championships for women's skeleton (26 from 13), which was added for the 2002 Games.

So what the heck? Van thinks it's sexism, pure and simple. Because women can jump the same distance as men, the men would look less impressive and they don't want that! I just can't figure it out... it seems unfair and unjust and against everything I thought the Olympics stood for. Right now, I feel like it's a good thing they only happen every four years. I need some time to calm down.