Norway's ski jumping men's team backs women's calls to jump from large hill as well as normal hill

Updated 03/02/2022 at 17:18 GMT

Norwegian ski jumper Silje Opseth called on Wednesday for women athletes to be allowed to jump from the large hill as well as the normal hill at the Olympics. She received support from two of her male colleagues, Halvor Granerud and Johansson, as well as their team manager, Clas Brede Bråthen, who agreed with her request.

Halvor Egner Granerud of Norway jumps during the Individual HS142 at the Four Hills Tournament Men Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Olympiaschanze on January 01, 2022 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Image credit: Getty Images

Norway’s male ski jumpers called for the women to be granted the chance to jump from the same height as the men’s contestants.

22-year-old Norwegian jumper Silje Opseth told Discovery that she was jealous of the men who were able to use ‘the big beautiful hill’ in Beijing, and on Thursday her male colleagues gave their support to the proposal.

Currently, men use the normal hill and the large hill, with the women restricted to the normal hill.

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However Halvor Granerud pointed out that women used the same hill in the Willingen event last weekend, and had no problems with parity for the sexes.

“There is no doubt that they are ready for a large hill in the Olympic program, and it is only the backlog that means that they do not have it already,” he said.

Colleague Robert Johansson was in agreement.

“I very much agree,” he said. “Just look at last weekend, and it was a very entertaining competition with girls who thumped over 150 metres. With the World Cup in Oberstdorf fresh in mind, it was also a very entertaining race. I think we all feel they deserve Olympic competition on a large hill as well.”

They were both backed up by men's national jumping team manager, Clas Brede Bråthen.

It will be a difficult job for those who will argue against the girls jumping on all the slopes... after what happened in Willingen. There the girls showed what many of us have said for a long time: that they will show it when they get the opportunity.

!I am very proud of the girls for showing how good they are in extremely difficult weather conditions. In the international jumping community. And the conditions that were there - I do not know if there has been a ski jump in a more rugged hill ever. But it went very, very well."

He believes that the next Olympics will be held under equal circumstances for men and women jumpers.

Brathen explained: “I'm looking forward to the discussion this spring, which will evaluate whether this was good enough for them to be released on the next level. Considering the Olympics, it is quite obvious that in 2026 they will be able to jump. Unfortunately, they do not get it now, and it is too late to do anything about it now.”

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