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John Russell

John Russell's sports column appears Sundays in Steamboat Today. Contact him at 871-4209 or e-mail jrussell@SteamboatToday.com.

Steamboat Springs — If you want a front-row seat for all the Olympic action in February, it's time to find a hotel room near Vancouver.

Because at the 2010 Winter Olympics, you will see world-class skiers reach their peak and then race down it. You will see more drama than you will ever witness on daytime TV, and you will see people from all corners of the world come together to share a love of winter sports and international competition.

You also will witness magical moments that will take your breath away. You'll see the type of character that will bring tears to your eyes, and you'll see history unfold when the best athletes in the world step onto the podium to collect gold, silver and bronze and take their place as Olympic champions.

But unless something changes in the next six months, the one thing you will not see at the 2010 Winter Games is women's ski jumping.

Despite the best efforts of athletes from across the world, it seems impossible to convince the International Olympics Committee that women's ski jumping has a place at the Winter Games.

The athletes have begged, argued and even taken their case to the Supreme Court in Canada, but nobody has been able to sway the IOC or change its decision to keep women's ski jumping out of the Olympics in 2010.

To be honest, I'm not sure why the IOC made the choice not to allow the women to jump, and I can't really argue that their decision was right or wrong. The IOC cited technical reasons for excluding women's ski jumping for the Olympics.

The decision seems wrong, but I have faith that the people running the Olympics are making decisions to keep the games in line with today's quickly changing world.

Still, it's hard to imagine a better group of athletes to represent the Olympic cause than these women. During the past three years, I've seen their actions, I've seen their passion, and I've seen their dedication to the sport. They have convinced me that they deserve their Olympic shot, and they have earned my respect.

Every Olympic athlete makes sacrifices to get to the top of their sport. But these athletes have sacrificed more than most. Not only do they train, compete and work for the right to represent their countries on the jump hill, but they also are fighting, working and standing up for the shot they deserve.

How the story reflects on the Olympic Games, the IOC and the sport of ski jumping has yet to be seen.

It's too bad. This could be a story of inspiration that captures the true spirit of the Olympic Games - a story about athletes who are not competing for money or fame, but for a sport they love.

Their battle isn't about proving that the IOC is wrong, but simply about earning a chance to step onto the world's grandest athletic stage.