The IOC is pleased with the court decision barring female ski jumpers from the Vancouver Olympics, saying the Games can now proceed as planned. ...From here.
From here.VANOC president John Furlong said the organization has spent well over $100,000 on the case.
After the court decision, Mr. Furlong expressed sympathy for the young women ski jumpers. "It's an unhappy day for these girls. It's not fun watching it. But for us, this is a chance to move on and focus our attention on preparing for the Olympics."
"This is a matter that's been far from our reach and our influence and we simply didn't have any jurisdiction here . . . these girls have tried very hard, they have put up a very good fight."John Furlong here, commenting on the 'pluckiness of these girls' - women and female athletes actually, not girls - who dared to challenge the powerful IOC.
Beyond 'mere' callous sexism, there is another issue, a Toronto Star sports columnist points out:
Um, yeah. Who wants to offend the Olympdick deities? Nyah, nyah, nyah indeed.The International Olympic Committee has a long memory. The British Columbia court Friday rejected the appeal of women ski jumpers to be included in the Vancouver 2010 Games, but had there been any assertion that the IOC was subject to such mundane things as Canadian laws, no Canadian city ever need bid for another Olympics, Summer or Winter. The IOC won't again put itself in a position of having a court decide its sports lineup.
The IOC considers itself and its members above the law when it comes to anything to do with sports and specifically Olympic sport. Remember when the shakedown artists went to court during the Salt Lake City bribery scandals? Far too much IOC dirty laundry was exposed and it all registered in Switzerland. Has anyone noticed the United States, with its sue-happy mentality, being awarded any Olympics lately? How did things work out for Chicago there last month?
1 comment:
On one hand, I am really bummed that these women cannot compete, but on the other, the olympics really don't mean anything to me anymore (they haven't since they made the switch to allow professionals to play).
I get more anti-olympics with every right and freedom that gets snatched away to keep the IOC happy. That said, if there was going to be a women's ski jumping competition, I would have done everything in my power to get tickets for myself and my family and you can bet we would have been among the loudest there cheering on ALL the women.
Instead, I will be hosting Nolympic Garden Parties at my home which is in very close proximity to a venue. Jackets sporting protest slogans will be encouraged.
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