A court date has been set for a group of women ski jumpers to argue their place on the 2010 Olympic Winter Games event schedule. Because of a decision made early in 2008 by International Olympic Committee President Jacque Rogge, who said that “because there are so few women ski jumpers in the world, including them in the Games would dilute the medals being handed out to other athletes,” ski jumping will not be included as an event at the 2010 Games in Vancouver. Supporters of the sport cite contrary evidence to Rogge’s reasoning, arguing that during the 2007-08 season there were 99 women ski jumpers representing 15 countries on the International Ski Federation's Centennial Cup elite-level tour. These participation numbers compare to other sports already on the Olympic Games schedule, like snowboard cross, which has 34 women from 10 countries; skier cross, which has 30 women from 11 nations; and bobsled, which has 26 women from 13 nations.
The group will go before the British Columbia, Canada, Supreme Court on April 20, 2009, to argue against the Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee (VANOC). The lawsuit against VANOC claims the organization is violating Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms by allowing only men to compete in the events. The list of plaintiffs on the suit include top Canadian Zoya Lynch; Norway’s Anette Sagen; and Americans Lindsey Van, Jessica Jerome and Karla Keck.