Appeals court rejects female ski jumpers Winter Olympic plea

FEMALE ski jumpers have lost their fight to compete at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics after a Canadian appeals court ruled against them.

NO GO: The 14 female ski jumpers, includeing world champion Lindsey Van, pictured, bidding to gain inclusion into the Winter Olympics, have lost their appeal (Getty Images)

A three-judge panel unanimously rejected the appeal of the 14 ski jumpers, that claimed it was a breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to prevent them from competing in Vancouver next February.

In July, the plaintiffs took their case to the High Court and while Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon sympathised with the ski jumpers, she ruled that it was ultimately the decision of the International Olympic Committee and it was not something accountable to the Charter.

With women's boxing due to be added to the programme at London 2012, ski jumping - which features in three events at the Winter Games, is the only Olympic sport that prevents women from competing.

The plaintiffs have implored the IOC to reconsider their decision and while the issue was brought up at the IOC Congress in Copenhagen last month, president Jacques Rogge reiterated the belief that the sport is not widely developed enough yet.

But the group of 14 international former and current ski jumpers, denied the IOC's claims, and argued more women were competing in ski jumping than in some other sports that have been included in the Olympics.

Any new sports added to the Olympic programme must now be gender equal and following the decision to add women's boxing, the female ski jumpers had hoped their appeal would bear more fruit.

A spokesperson for the plaintiffs said that the women would wait until the appeals court issues its written ruling before deciding whether they would take their case to Canada's Supreme Court.

The IOC have introduced female ski jumping for the inaugural Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck in 2012.

"We appreciate the court's time and careful consideration of these complex issues," said John Furlong, VANOC's Chief Executive Officer.

"With 91 days remaining until the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, we must remain focused on our preparations to stage the 2010 sport program as set out by the International Olympic Committee, including a men's ski jumping event.

"We remain supportive of these remarkable young women and of having women's ski jumping added to the roster of future Olympic Winter Games."