Vanoc must let women compete in ski jump or drop men’s events, court told
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Organizing Committee must either put on a ski-jumping event for women or remove the three mens-only events being planned for the 2010 Winter Games, a B.C. Supreme Court was told Monday.
In what is becoming an internationally significant case, 15 women ski jumpers have gone to court seeking a declaration that Vanoc is violating their Charter rights by refusing to hold an event for them.
They argue that Vanoc is violating Section 15 of the federal Charter of Rights and Freedoms by allowing a men-only event while refusing to hold one for women.
In an opening submission on Monday in chambers, Ross Clark, acting for the plaintiffs, told Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon that Vanoc's refusal means that "simply because of their sex, the (women) have been told they cannot participate in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games."
Vanoc has said that it is abiding by the wishes of the International Olympic Committee, which has told the women that their sport is not developed enough to permit an Olympic competition.
Vanoc's lawyer George Macintosh has not yet made his opening remarks, but Clark said Vanoc has maintained that it is not in violation of the Charter because it is contractually bound to implement the IOC's decision not to include a women's ski-jumping competition.
"The IOC's decision perpetuates the historical prejudices that to date have excluded women from ski jumping in the Olympics," Clark said. "Vanoc's blind acceptance of the IOC's decision effectively incorporates these historical prejudices into its own organization, staging and financing of the 2010 Games."
Clark ran through the sport histories of some of the plaintiffs, including Norwegian Anette Sagen, American Lindsey Van and Canadian Katie Wills. He noted Van is the "first and current" world champion of the normal hill at the Vanoc-built Whistler Olympic Park ski jump.
"Vanoc's failure to plan, organize, finance and stage a ski jumping event for women as part of the 2010 Games is a direct assault on the human dignity of these plaintiffs and elite women ski jumpers across the world," he said. "It denies them the opportunity to demonstrate their accomplishments, dedication and athleticism and to have them celebrated and recognized."
The case continues.
Updates to come …
http://www.vancouversun.com/Vanoc+must+women+compete+jump+drop+events+court+told/1515408/story.html
Threaded Mode