PARK CITY — Chris Johnson found herself basking in one of her proudest moment while suffering one of her most painful heartbreaks.
"I was watching my son, Anders, march in during the Olympic opening ceremonies and Alyssa is on the phone sobbing," said Johnson. "That was one of my toughest days as a parent."
Her two children, Anders and Alyssa Johnson, are world class ski jumpers. But Alyssa wasn't allowed to even compete for a spot on the 2006 Winter Olympic team because she's a woman.
"You can't really explain to your children about fairness," said Johnson. "But then, it's not just about the Olympics."
What Johnson can't explain to her daughter is that despite her being one of the best ski jumpers in the world, the IOC refuses to allow women to ski jump in the Winter Olympics. A group of women from six different countries are currently suing the Vancouver Olympic Organizing committee in an effort to get women admitted to the 2010 games. This coming February will be the first time women have had an FIS World Championship, which many saw as the precursor to being included in the winter games.
Today the world's best women ski jumpers will compete at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. This is the biggest competition for women's ski jumping in North America and features a number of Utah athletes, including Alyssa Johnson, who is currently ranked sixth in the world. The women's competition begins today at 1 p.m. and then again at 5:30 p.m. at the Olympic Park with visits from Santa following the Awards ceremony around 8 p.m. The competitions were originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights, but weather forced organizers to move the Saturday event to 1 p.m. today.
The Continental Cup also features a men's Nordic Combined competition, which features men jumping at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and then cross country ski racing at Soldier Hollow both days at 2 p.m.
The women are especially excited about this weekend's competition because it is the first year they've been included in the FIS events that lead to the World Championships in 2009.
"It really is our first championship event," said Johnson.
Johnson got into ski jumping through the Olympic Park and because her father was a U.S. Ski Team coach. She didn't even realize when she took up the sport that it wasn't an Olympic event for women.
"It used to get me down," said Johnson, who feels a responsibility to fight for progress not just for herself but for the little girls she talks to when she represents the U.S. Ski Team in elementary schools around the country. "Throughout the years I think we've lost a lot of girl jumpers who didn't see a future in it. I think it's worth fighting for, if only so girls in the future don't hear a constant stream of no."
Alyssa and her U.S. teammates will get the chance to show just what women can do in ski jumping in front of a hometown crowd. And despite their efforts internationally and at home, the women who represent the U.S. in the sport don't feel much like pioneers.
"I don't feel like I'm doing much but trying to jump and trying to make the sport more popular," said Jessica Jerome, ranked 13th, who also calls Park City home. "When I realized it wasn't an Olympic sport, I didn't care because I just loved to jump. Obviously it's the pinnacle of any athlete's career to go to the Olympics, but I get to come out here and do something I absolutely love."
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com