Ski Jumping

The sport of ski jumping first got it's start in the early 1800's and over the nearly two centuries that have followed, the sport and equipment have evolved to the high flying excitement that can be seen today. Though women have only formally competed relatively recently, they have been able to capitalize on the development of the sport and very quickly prove their abilities.

By 2003, ski jumping events for women had already started being sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS). In 2004, women began competing on the Continental Cup circuit, an alternative to the World Cup circuit.

FIS continued their support of female ski jumpers by including women in the 2009 Nordic Ski World Championships, a decision made in 2006. FIS also put forward a proposal to include women's ski jumping at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. That proposal was denied by the Executive Board of the IOC in late 2006 on the grounds that very few athletes compete, and only a small number of nations were represented.

Currently, there are 146 active female jumpers registered with FIS, and a total of 206 women ski jumpers that are start authorized. Most hail from European countries, but Japan, Canada and US are also represented.

At only 14 years old, Canadian Katie Willis of Calgary set the high water mark for Canada when she won a gold medal during a 2005 Continental Cup event. Since that time, the depth of the Canadian field has continued to grow, with Nata De Leeuw and Atsuko Tanaka, both of Calgary, becoming increasingly competitive.

American Lindsey Van currently holds the record for the 90 meter jump at the Whistler Olympic venue, having flown further than any of the male competitors. Van also won a gold medal at the 2009 Nordic Ski World Championships, held in Liberec, Czech Republic.