Canadian Supreme Court refuses to hear women ski jumpers

Thu, Dec  24, 2009 - By Deborah Folka

Vancouver – The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear arguments in the case of the women ski jumpers suing VANOC to participate in the 2010 Olympics, according to Ross Clark, Q.C., lead counsel for the women and a partner with Davis LLP in Vancouver.

“We are very disappointed the Supreme Court of Canada does not view this as matter of national importance and will not have the opportunity to hear our arguments,” Clark said.  “This case was not just about women ski jumpers.  The textbook gender discrimination found by the lower court judge should have been examined by the highest court in the land in light of its significance to our Charter case.”

Deedee Corradini, president of Women’s Ski Jumping-USA and long-time advocate for the women’s case, declared herself very sad that the women are denied the Supreme Court opportunity, but she and the jumpers ‘won’t give up.’

“We won’t stop working at this cause until women are ski jumping in the Olympics,” she said.  “Although we are hugely disappointed by the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear us this time, we won’t give up. This is about human rights and discrimination.  It’s a wrong that must be righted.

“These women are ready, they’re highly skilled athletes and given the chance, would have provided Olympic spectators with a thrilling and competitive performance in February at Whistler,” Corradini pointed out. “No qualified athlete should be denied the right to participate in the Olympics because of gender.”

Davis LLP, Torys LLP and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, as well as DLF Communications Ltd., supported the women ski jumpers pro bono in their cause.