Female Ski Jumpers Sue For Olympic Spot

From the Associated Press:

A group of women ski jumpers will get the chance to argue in a Canadian court on April 20 for their sport to be included in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The ski jumpers have sued the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and have been assigned a court date for their case to be heard.

"We are pleased to be progressing in our lawsuit, and this allows enough time for the women's events to be added to the 2010 program," said DeeDee Corradini, a spokesperson for the women's ski jumping group.

The International Olympic Committee voted in 2006 to exclude women's ski jumping from the 2010 Games, saying the sport didn't meet the basic criteria for an Olympic event.

The lawsuit alleges that excluding women's ski jumping violates the athletes' rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It asks for women's ski jumping to be added to the 2010 Games, or, barring that, for men's ski jumping to be removed.

Vancouver Olympic organizers have said they are bound by the decision of the International Olympic Committee. The case will be heard in British Columbia Supreme Court.