Lindsay Van
USST Season 08 Overview

The women’s ski jumping team had an interesting season. About half of the competitions scheduled for the winter were cancelled due to no snow in central Europe. Rescheduling these comps was not an option either, because there was no where that had sufficient snow. With all the frustrating cancellations the team was able to get in some good powder skiing at home in Park City Utah.

The six member team trained a lot in Park City, but was eager to put the training to the test. Our new coach Kjell Ivar Magnussen from Norway led the team to competitions in Europe and Japan.
21 year old Jessica Jerome was fresh off an ACL reconstruction this winter and jumped right back into it all. She had five top ten finishes in the Continental Cup, and topped off the season with a 3rd place in Zao Japan. It was her first podium in over a year and a half, and an awesome way to finish the season. Jessica also swept the Nationals on the 100 meter, and the 134 meter. She is currently ranked number 7 in the world.

Brenna Ellis 20 years old had a 20th place in a Continental Cup in Notodden Norway, but really shined at Nationals. She finished 2nd place on the 100 meter hill. She also represented the U.S. at the World Juniors in Zakopane Poland. Ellis finished 27th in the Continental Cup standings.
Abby Hughes 19 was unable to compete internationally this year due to a fracture on one of the disc in her back. She spent the winter in Park City training and recovering in Park City. She was able to compete at Nationals and there achieved 3rd place on both the 100 meter hill and the 134 meter hill. She is focused on recovering and looking forward to a healthy competition summer.

Alissa Johnson had a rough start to the winter. Twenty year old Johnson had a bad ankle sprain in the summer while competing in Germany. She rehabbed the ankle all fall and was able to start competiting internationally again in January. She had three top 20 finishes in the Continental Cup and one top 15 in Zao Japan. Johnson finished 29th in the Continental Cup standings.
Avery Ardovino, the rookie on the team had her first whole season on the Continental Cup. The 16 year old had six results in the top 20, and two 12th places in Zao Japan. Ardovino represented the U.S. at the World Juniors in Zakopane Poland, and finished 20th there. She is currently ranked fourteenth in the world.

Young Sarah Hendrickson traveled with the U.S. squad for four Continental Cups and the World Juniors. At thirteen years old she was able to have some very impressive results at the highest level. In her first Continental Cup ever she placed 24th. In the same trip she also had a 11th and a 20th. She was the best American at the World Juniors and was 16th place. Hendrickson was 2nd at Nationals on the 134 meter hill. The young jumper has a bright future ahead of her.

My season was short. I competed only four times, and missed fifty five percent of the season. I injured my knee in training before some competitions in Germany in mid February. I was happy with the season until the injury, and I was having some very good jumps. I placed 2nd in all four Continental Cups. In January I had the opportunity to jump at the brand new ski jumps in Vancouver Canada. Although I won’t be able to compete there during the Olympics it was a great experience. I set the hill record on the normal hill with a jump of 105.5 meters. I finished the Continental Cup season ranked 6th. On March 26th I had knee surgery in Vail Colorado and underwent a Micofracture surgery for cartilage regeneration. I will be here in Park City doing rehab, and training all summer. I hope to get back on my skis when the snow falls again.

The big story in Women’s Ski Jumping was not about the jumping. Ski Jumping is the only sport in the Winter Olympics that does not include women. The International Olympic Committee refuses to allow the women into the Olympics. The reasons given change all the time, and they say we don’t have enough women competing at a high enough level. That statement is completely incorrect. We have more competitors from more nations than many of the current Olympic sports. The Canadians filled a complaint with the Human Rights Commission in Canada, but the I.O.C. still refused to include the women. A group of women are going to the Supreme Court of Canada for the last and final chance. We hope the case will be strong enough to force the I.O.C. to include the women in the Olympics Program in Vancouver for 2010. The fact that the women are not allowed is ridiculous, and is out right discrimination. It is 2008, and this is something that should have been resolved years ago. It’s time for the I.O.C to make the right decision and include the women. What are they scared of? Please sign the petition to include the women in the Olympics, and let the International Olympic Committee know what is right. www.wsj2010.com.

Overall the U.S. squad had a good season but look forward to working with our coach Kjell to kick some butt this season. The season kicks off again in August in Germany and will continue through March. We will be working hard on our jumping, and to push our sport forward.