GRSJ224/Women in ski jumping
2017 Womens Ski Jumping World Cup
Introduction
Historically and currently there is an overwhelming underrepresentation and discrimination of female athletes in the sport of ski jumping [13]. Gender representation and inclusion in sport is a relevant topic considering the recent movements in North America and worldwide demanding equal rights for women. Women were not included in the Olympic Games in the sport of ski jumping until 2014 [12]. The Olympic Committee had claimed women's ski jumping should not be able to compete at the Olympic level [3].
The History of Male Domination in Ski Jumping
Ski Jumping was first performed in Norway in 1808 by a man named Ole Rye and was exclusively a male pastime [10]. The first recorded female jump was in 1862 by Norwegian athlete Ingrid Olavsdottir Vestby. The sport itself is mainly comprised of males both historically and currently. As ski jumping transitioned into an organized sport, woman found themselves excluded. Women were not able to compete at the same levels as men, until the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Sports and the Olympic Games, in general, have a racist and sexist history. In the first Winter Olympics of 1924, every sport was restricted exclusively to men [13].
There are no known professional female coaches in the ski jumping community, along with a lack of female judges. Men are disproportionately in governance positions in sport, especially ski jumping, which reproduces male dominance [1]. When a majority male board makes decisions impacting female and male athletes, as the Olympic Committee had done with women's ski jumping, the practice of gender normalcy is questionable. The Olympic Committee is overwhelmingly male and white.
The Battle for Olympic Inclusion
Women's ski jumping is now a recognized sport in the Olympics, but the journey to recognition was long and troublesome. The Olympic Committee has made claims that women's ski jumping would be harmful to the reproductive organs, and while this claim was medically disproven, risk discourses still prevail: “This paternalistic ‘protection’ of women is also evident in different rules for women and men in terms of which hills they can jump in competition” [5]. There is a clear misogynistic attitude that surrounds the sport, and during the petition for women's ski jumping to be included in the 2014 Olympics the men's Russian coach claimed “Women have a different purpose — to have children, do housework, to create a family home” [8]. The overwhelming resistance to include the sport, solely based on gender discrimination, was apparent on many levels.
Before the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics many female jumpers and their supporters were in discussion with the Olympic committee to include them. 15 former and current female ski jumpers went to court to argue their exclusion from the Vancouver Olympic Games violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, furthermore, they wanted a court decision that Vancouver Olympics be required to hold women's ski jumping or cancel all ski jumping events [3]. They lost their case and an International Olympic Committee representative said "Any reference to the fact that this is a matter about gender equality is totally inappropriate and misleading" [3]. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claimed the exclusion of women's jumping was not evidence of gender discrimination [7].
In 2008 the IOC had claimed that there wasn’t enough Olympic level female ski jumpers in the world and that including them in the Olympic Games would dilute the medals given out to other athletes [3]. In 2009 the IOC claimed its choice to bar women ski jumping was purely based on technical merit [3]. Additionally women's ski jumping was only permitted to participate in the World Cup competition as of 2011, which was won by Sarah Hendrickson making her the first ever female ski jumper World Cup winner [9].
The Unequal Pay
According to the International Ski Federation website, women's ski jumping is awarded significantly less competition prize money than men’s ski jumping at the Ski Jumping World Cup [4]. Women in the sport are competing at the same levels as the men, and at the same International Competitions, yet are paid less for their achievements. In any other field of work this would be considered gender discrimination but because there is no statute pertaining to gender discrimination in professional sports, the unequal pay continues. In 2018 the top female ski jumper in North America, Sarah Hendrickson, claimed she was stressfully relying completely on personal funding from her mother and a sponsor for the 2018 Olympics [6].
Historically female athletes have struggled to have media coverage and in 2013 women were only receiving 7% of the airtime, thus resulting in less financial sponsorships [2]. Modern female athletes face gender discrimination through forms of lower wages, lack of endorsements, minimal media coverage, a disparity in economic and social benefits, and differences in quality of playing surfaces [2].
The Overwhelming Whiteness
The sport of ski jumping includes a relatively small community of athletes, coaches, and judges. Historically ski jumping has been largely white, with Japan being the only non European/North American country regularly competing in competitions. There are currently no black or Indigenous competition level jumpers. Like many other ski sports, ski jumping was first performed in Norway in the 1800s and did not become popular worldwide until the 1920s [10]. Ski jumping is also only accessible to cold areas equipped with expensive ski jumps. The sports history and geographical limitations possibly account for the overwhelming whiteness.
The Medicalization and Sexualization of Women's Bodies in Ski Jumping
Many gatekeepers of the ski jumping community have made efforts to continue the false medical claims surrounding reproductive health and ski jumping. In 1926 a German doctor wrote, “Because of the unanswered medical question as to whether ski jumping agrees with the female organism, this would be a very daring experiment and should be strongly advised against” [13].
In 2005 Gian Franco Kasper, president of the International Ski Federation, said "Don't forget, it's like jumping down from, let's say, about two meters on the ground about a thousand times a year, which seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view" [11].
There are no health implications specific to the female body associated with ski jumping. There is a false view that physical activity can make women infertile, and this notion has existed since Victorian times [12]. In response to Kasper's comments Lindsey Van, a ski jumping world champion, said “It just makes me nauseous. Like, I kind of want to vomit. Like, really? Like, I'm sorry, but my baby-making organs are on the inside. Men have an organ on the outside. So if it's not safe for me jumping down, then my uterus is going to fall out, what about the organ on the outside of the body?” [12].
Feminist Initiatives Within Ski Jumping
The IOC has a longstanding history with gender discrimination and the justification concerning the exclusion of women’s ski jumping silences the accomplishments and long history women have in the sport. Women have been active in the sport since 1863, and despite recognition have continued to prosper and train while also becoming advocates. Many elite female jumpers can out jump their male teammates and train alongside male teammates. Before the Olympic Games in 2010, Lindsey Van, a top US female ski jumper, had the longest jump on the normal (K95) hill of any athlete, male or female (105.5 meters) [13].
References
[1] Claringbould, Inge, and Annelies Knoppers. "Paradoxical Practices of Gender in Sport-Related Organizations." Journal of Sport Management, vol. 26, no. 5, 2012, pp. 404-416.
[2] Dennis, Tanya E. "Why is Your Grass Greener than Mine? the Need for Legal Reform to Combat Gender Discrimination in Professional Sports." New England Law Review, vol. 50, no. 3, 2016, pp. 347-379
[3] Female ski jumpers lose Olympic battle. CBC News. 2009, July 10
[4] “Highest prize money at WSC in ski jumping.” FIS-SKI, 25 Feb. 2015
[5] Laurendeau, Jason, and Carly Adams. "'Jumping Like a Girl': Discursive Silences, Exclusionary Practices and the Controversy Over Women's Ski Jumping." Sport in Society, vol. 13, no. 3, 2010, pp. 431-447.
[6] “Sarah Hendrickson relies on personal funding for upcoming Olympics.” Park Record, 30 Sept. 2017
[7] Travers, Ann. "Women's Ski Jumping, the 2010 Olympic Games, and the Deafening Silence of Sex Segregation, Whiteness, and Wealth." Journal of Sport and Social Issues, vol. 35, no. 2, 2011, pp. 126-145
[8] “Russian men’s ski jump coach against women ski jumping ...” NBC Sports, NBC, 20 Jan. 2014
[9] "Sarah Hendrickson, 17, Wins Ski Jump." ESPN Sports, 2011
[10] "Ski Jumping History." Olympic Games Website
[11] "Women Lobby For Olympic Ski Jumping" NPR, 2005
[12] "Why Women's Ski Jumping Was Banned" Business Insider, 2014
[13] "Why It Took 90 Years For Women's Ski Jumping To Make The Olympics" Deadspin, 2014