(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Kristin Fridtun, Line Jahr, Henriette Smeby and Anette Sagen. The four Norwegian girls are the best in the world when they jump off the jump. Yes, not only are they so good that they beat their fellow sisters from other countries. They also challenge the jumping boys in an arena that has traditionally been male dominated. In a sport where muscle strength has to give way to technique and fearlessness, there is no reason for the girls to do worse. Or get hurt more often.
Therefore, it is a paradox that ski jumping has been the boys' sport for so long. Now, however, the jumping girls demand their place: on the podium and on top of the biggest slopes. But the international ski association FIS says no to that, with the words from FIS pamp Torbjørn Yggeseth: “If we let one girl go, we have them all there. And we can not take responsibility for that. "
With such statements, it is not appropriate to surprise if the "girls" doubt whether they themselves will ever participate in ski flying, and little to blame them for if they should give up. Perhaps the logic of the FIS pampers is that "if we lock one girl out, we will release them all". The jumping sport is a prominent example of how important success at the elite level is for interest in and recruitment to the sport – the boys' newfound success demonstrates this well. Now that we have also got jumping girls who threaten to surpass the boys in hero status and sporting achievements, it is of course crucial for the future of jumping that the girls get all the support they can be given. If not, we risk that girl jumps will only be a bluff. And that the sport of jumping becomes an anachronism.
Now the Norwegian gender equality ombudsman has also had his say. Kristin Mile states in a statement that "a ban for girls against jumping on large slopes like Vikersund is a violation of the Gender Equality Act". With Mile's statement and the support of Sports President Kran and Minister of Culture Svarstad Haugland, one would also think that the ground was open to the girls. But then no.
FIS stands its ground, and they tighten their grip even further: Not only are the girls refused to participate in ski flying races, FIS has also abandoned its verbal commitment to let the girls be test jumpers in Vikersund. In addition, FIS puts its foot down so that a national race without FIS status can be arranged on the slopes. And as if that were not enough, FIS states according to Aftenposten that "all other use of the facility for training or competitions must be approved by the board of FIS." Which meets twice a year.
Thus, the guys in the FIS have put an effective stop for the jumping boys in and out of competition to put off the stern, and prove that girls can also fly.
Ultimately, there is only one possible outcome to the case: The line FIS is laying on is not only impermissibly stupid, obscene and ridiculous, it also violates Norwegian law. And in this country, it is Norwegian law, and not FIS 'stupidities, that applies. Therefore, the organizers in Vikersund must let the girls jump. Then FIS can say what they want. In any case, we no longer listen to them.
