Making the impossible possible
I officially became emotionally attached to the Winter Olympics when I watched the women’s ski jump final. A competition of 30 women from 12 nations who all dreamt of being the first female ski jump Olympic champion.
I don’t follow winter sports closely, like many people I like to jump on the Olympic bandwagon every four years, which is ironic because in my own sport I try to promote the fact that there are major championships every year! Irony aside, as an armchair fan of the Winter Olympics I found a new favourite event, the women’s ski jump.
Quite often in sport, battles occur far away from the field of play and that’s the case in women’s ski jump. The event was the culmination of a lengthy battle to be included in the Games. Ski jumping was one of the original events in the Winter Olympics in 1924 but it took 90 years for women to be afforded the opportunity to compete.
The apparent reasons for its exclusion before Sochi 2014 were the unfounded argument about the female body being fragile and a perceived lack of competitiveness. As I watched the event unfold it made me think of our own female Olympic champion, Katie Taylor, and her long road to earn the right to fight in the Olympics. After watching the ski jump I reached out to Taylor and asked her about her experience.
My own journey to the start line in three Olympic Games was very straightforward, I achieved the standard and earned my place on the team. Women’s athletics has had its place at the Olympic table for a long time. Since 2008 all track and field events have both male and female competitions.
I remember hearing about Katie Taylor in the months leading up to the Beijing Olympics. I knew that there was an Irish girl from Bray who was a world champion boxer but who would not be able to compete in the Games. Taylor mentions her bitter disappointment at not being allowed to fight in Beijing. It’s hard for me to imagine how that must have felt. I performed badly in Beijing but at least I was afforded the opportunity to compete. I can’t imagine how she must have felt sitting at home watching the Games unfold without being a part of it.
Thankfully we all know that her Olympic heartbreak ended with a gold medal in London 2012. Speaking to her now she talks of the importance of the Olympic Games and the deep sense of pride the women boxers had in London when they made history by stepping into the ring. Taylor has wise words about sport and feels that sport needs people who will stand up for their convictions. She certainly stood up for her sport and is humble in acknowledging all those who helped her do that.
As the women took flight in the K-90 ski jump they were not only fighting for medals but for recognition of what incredible athletes they are. The competitors had pursued their Olympic ambition since 1998; their route included a court case in Canada that ended up in the Supreme Court. Eventually the International Olympic Committee granted them the right to compete in Sochi.
The sport is undoubtedly breathtaking. Competitors take flight for about 10 seconds and are judged on distance jumped and technique. They jump around 100 metres. It must take an incredible amount of bravery to climb to the top of the jump and take flight.
The eventual winner was Carina Vogt from Germany with Daniela Irascho-Stolz of Austria taking silver and bronze going to the French competitor Coline Mattel. As Vogt stood nervously waiting for her score after the final jump the emotion of the occasion was huge. When the result flashed up Vogt fell to the floor crying with joy, Olympic spirit at its best.
Since 1991 the International Olympic Committee has been committed to gender equality, all new sports added to the games must have men and women. Unfortunately this didn’t apply to sports already in existence leaving women’s ski jump and boxing with a battle for inclusion.
American Lindsay Van was the face of women’s ski jumping and massively behind the movement for Olympic inclusion. There is a great documentary, Ready to Fly, which follows the journey of Van and women’s ski jump to their eventual inclusion in the Olympics. At one point in the documentary there is footage of Van as a child looking into the camera and stating when she grew up she wanted to go to the Olympics for ski jump.
In Sochi 2014 the women competed in one event, they jumped from the normal hill, while the men jumped in three events (the normal hill, the large hill and the team event). In London 2012 the female boxers fought in three weight divisions whilst the men fought in 10. As the curtain came down on the women’s ski jump debut the competitors have their eye on the large hill and team event. Their debut on the normal hill showed their sport in a glittering light and has undoubtedly garnered fans around the world.
When Taylor speaks of the effect of London 2012 she talks about the increased numbers of females arriving at boxing clubs and the legacy that now exists for the fighters coming behind her.
She is also quick to point out that now isn’t the time to get complacent, now is the time for the sport to go from strength to strength. Taylor would like more weight divisions in the Olympics and for women’s boxing to be included in the semi-pro league. Just like the female ski jumpers Taylor is looking to achieve equal opportunity for women in her sport.
The Olympics is for dreamers, it’s for people who dream of impossible goals and find a way to make them happen. Whether that is a little girl who wants to fly on skis or one who wants to step in the ring and show the world how good she is, how could you not get emotionally attached?
