if you can put a woman on Mars, can't you let her compete in a ski-jump?

I was born in 1967.  I recall vividly thinking that I could be an astronaut when I grew up.  It seemed like such a feasible dream.  Somehow I gained the impression that, when I was older, people would travel in space with the ease that they travelled in an airplane.  The opportunities seemed endless: I could be a journalist, a doctor, any occupation so long as I applied myself; the doors seemed wide open.

It never really occurred to me that I could be in the Olympics. Perhaps it was something that I never really entertained because {clearing of throat} I'm not gifted athletically.  Simply put, I was one of the last kids chosen in "Red Rover".  I didn't see the Olympics as my destiny or that of virtually anyone I knew.  For the first 37+ years of my life, the Olympics was something to watch on tv (when there was nothing else on); the Olympic athlete was someone to watch on tv representing far away places.

Fast forward 37 years and I personally knew a coach and (indirectly) his daughter who competed with the Canadian women's curling team in the 2006 Olympics.  Our wedding's MC is officiating in the speed skating event and his son is on the Canadian speedskating team for this Olympics.  What didn't seem feasible is becoming feasible.

Or perhaps mostly feasible.  My 6-year old daughter is quite irritated that women aren't permitted to compete in the Olympics ski-jumping competition.  Even at the age of six years, she's fiercely aware of gender inequities and will forcefully state her position that women can ski-jump as well as men.

Watch out, IOC (International Olympic Committee). You have to justify your action to the upcoming generation.