<p>The Olympic committee is still refusing to sanction women’s ski jumping as an olympic event [MPR:</a> Girls just want to ski jump](<a href=“http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/03/18/women_ski_jumping/]MPR:”>Girls just want to ski jump | MPR News) According tto the jumpers, the reasons continue to change. First it was “too dangerous” for the women, then there were “not enough athletes” (though apparently there were fewer women athletes in some snowboarding events when they were sanctioned). Ironically, according to the news, the women will be testing out the ski jump prior to the opening of the 2010 olympics to be sure it is satifactory for the men, but they will not be permitted to participate. Whats up with that??? There is an online petition if anyone cares to sign it, [Care2</a> : The Petition Site : Let Women Ski Jump i](<a href=“petition: Let Women Ski Jump in 2010”>petition: Let Women Ski Jump in 2010) to encourrage the sanctioning of the event for women.</p>
<p>I suppose in a perfect world, with no gender bias, there would be one contest for each of these events, with the best men or women from each country competing against the best men or women from another. Perhaps I’m old fashioned but I think women might be at a disadvantage in some events competing against men. I think that if we sucessfully argue against sex descrim in sporting events, then men and women would compete against each other- and not be separated by gender.</p>
<p>Calling it discrimination is an inaccurate discription. Women’s athletics is nothing but discrimination. It is discrimination against men because men are not permitted to participate. If men were permitted to participate in women’s athletics, women would quickly disappear because they lack the physical ability to compete with men in most athletic events. Separate but equal lives – its called women’s sports. </p>
<p>What you are really seeking is parity. </p>
<p>There are already so many stupid sports in the olympics how can another sport hurt. I forget the name of the event, but I scratch my head every time I see one person slide an object down a slippery path while others use brooms to brush in front and to the side of the object to make it land in just the right place. If that’s an olympic event, certainly watching grass grow should be one.</p>
<p>Razorsharp. It’s called Curling. :)</p>
<p>I am surprised that there are enough women who are dumb enough to want to ski jump.</p>
<p>Just like shooting at targers, curling gives us, old f@rts, hopes that anyone can be an olympian. ;)</p>
<p>I can’t imagine why there can’t be coed curling, or synchronized swimming, or why there shouldn’t be weight classes in gymnastics (heavyweight gymnastics could play a major role in getting many folks into shape).</p>
<p>If I had my way, I’d eliminate all representation by country, even if the Winter Olympics enabled me to learn the Liechtenstein National Anthem. Let the winners choose their favorite songs, and have them song by their favorites from American Idol, or their own country’s equivalent.</p>
<p>Curling – that’s it! Thanks mathmom. Who know that everyone who sweeps is really a potential olympic champion. </p>
<p>Good points Mini. </p>
<p>Why can’t they have teams with a certain number of men and women on them as Mini suggests. How about an 800 meter run with both men and women sprinters? I would rather watch that than the women’s event and the men’s event.</p>
<p>Good suggestion razorsharp, and thanks for clarifying that parity is the bigger issue. As for coed teams, women would definitely help those curling teams, as we all “know” that women are more skilled with brooms ;)</p>
<p>I am boycotting the olympics anyway- won’t watch, will protest the torch going through my city, so of ski jumping for females compared to the professional athletes, the location, the polution, the abuse of citizens by the chinese governemnt which to me are so much more important, the sexist component, while important, is nothing compared to the rest- considering how China treats it women and girls</p>
<p>My daughter looves the Olympics-
She has even been participating in the Luge team events they have held the last few years at about 4 or 5 resorts across the country- haven’t heard much about this year though, they must be getting ready.
She also I suspect is leaning toward attending school in Bellingham in order to be close to B.C. for the winter Olympics.
I agree that womens ski jumping should be held- in the snowboarding events there are three events for each sex.
If they have mens then they should have womens</p>
<p>I bet that the scrutiny the Olympic courses get make the jumps much safer than local resorts
[Are</a> some ski park jumps too risky?](<a href=“http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355160_skisuits15.html]Are”>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355160_skisuits15.html)</p>
<p>The more I think about this, the better I think is the idea that there should be many olympic events with both men and women on the same team. This would have the effect of demonstrating throughout the world that women and men should be able to work together to achieve a common goal. There are many countries where women are still second class citizens. Maybe the olympics could serve as a positive force for the world.</p>
<p>The Equestrian sports are co-ed. For both human and equine athletes.</p>
<p>I say we do away with all separate team sports. There is no ‘women’s basketball’ and ‘mens basketball.’ It is just ‘basketball.’</p>
<p>If a female wants to play football, great! If a male wants to play volleyball, awesome!</p>
<p>Don’t knock curling until you try it. It is incredibly hard to get that granite stone to stop where you want it. Try sliding up and down the ice to brush in front of the moving stone - you’ll be out of breath and dead on your feet in 5 minutes.</p>
<p>
I have no doubt that what you say is true. However, all you have to do is look at the bodies of olympic luge athletes and those of curling athletes and it becomes pretty clear who are the true athletes.</p>
<p>That’s like comparing major league baseball players to NBA players - different sports require different abilities.</p>
<p>Curling at a world championship or Olympic level requires an incredible amount of talent and training. I have tried curling and I watch it on the Canadian tv stations - I am always very impressed by the abilities of the world’s top curlers.</p>
<p>Since you have done curling and I have not, the odds are that you are right and I am completely wrong. But who’s betting?</p>
<p>Razonsharp–What’s the point of putting down the athletes engaged in curling? Maybe you don’t get the sport, but it is a sport that requires a level of athleticism that most of us don’t have. The people involved at the Olympic level are, more often then not, working hard and doing something about which they are passionate. FTR curling is very popular in Canada.</p>
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I sincerely doubt that. I can use a broom just like anyone else. With enough practice just about anyone can do it. Only infrequently do you see basketball players, skiers, swimmers, sprinters over the age of 35 in the olympics. I have seen a number of “older” people doing curling. I am not saying it is easy to curl, given that I have not done it before. But I am saying that it does not require the level of physical strength and ability required of other olympic sports.</p>
<p>Since you are familiar with Canada, would you say curling athletes are at the same level in terms of athleticism as college or professional hockey players?</p>