Female ski jumpers have been denied a place at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver next year due to the sport not being up to standard.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claims the sport does not meet requirements but is being considered for the 2014 games in Russia.

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To qualify for the Olympic Games a sport must have contested in at least two World Championships, there are also rules indicating how far in advance a sport can be added to an Olympic event.

When the news of this broke in March 2008 that the event was being shunned, the women’s team appealed against the IOC’s decision only to find out now that it was done in vain.

The women wanted the courts to force Vancouver organisers to either add a women’s event or cancel the men’s.

The IOC has decided to include the sport in the Winter Youth Olympics in 2012 in Innsbruck.

Ross Clark, the lawyer representing the women said, “We are very disappointed the Supreme Court of Canada does not view this as matter of national importance.”

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: ”We did not want the medals to be watered down by too little a pool of very good jumpers.

“There was not enough quality at the time.”

He said there are about 15 “technically very able” jumpers but the rest are not up to world standards.

“We are considering definitely to include them in Sochi should the progress they are making continue.”

Erin Healey, Sportsister
The Women’s Sport Magazine