The federal and B.C. governments, along with Vancouver Olympic organizers, should push the International Olympic Committee to change its discriminatory policy of not allowing women ski jumpers to compete at the 2010 Winter Games, says the president of Women's Ski Jumping USA.

Deedee Corradini, who was the mayor of Salt Lake City when that city won the right to host the 2002 Winter Games, noted that $580 million of Canadian taxpayers' money has helped the Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee build Olympic facilities.

"My understanding is it's against federal and provincial law in Canada to spend government money on facilities that discriminate," Corradini told a news conference Saturday at the Canadian ski-jumping championships.

"To have a men's-only sign on these ski jumps seems to be discriminatory and contrary to Canada's own human rights act."

The IOC voted against allowing women ski jumping in Vancouver, arguing the sport is not developed enough and that it doesn't meet the basic criteria for inclusion.

Corradini said statistics show there are more women ski jumpers in the world than female athletes in other Winter Olympic sports.

The first women's world championships will be held next year and there will be four world junior championship before 2010.

"Our hope is that VANOC, and the federal government and the provincial government could all get together," she said. "The facts are there. [Maybe] the IOC misunderstood the facts.

"If they could be convinced how the sport has grown, maybe we could persuade them that [women jumpers] will be ready in 2010."

Corradini said Canada can take a lead role in getting women's ski jumping in the Olympics.

"I think Canada is the key as a host country," she said. "The U.S. can't do it, other countries around the world can't make this change. It has to be Canada because you are hosting the Games."

Politician wants serious talk

Harry Bains, a member of the B.C. legislature and the provincial NDP's Olympic critic, said keeping women ski jumpers out of the Games goes against Canadian values of equality and inclusion.

"I think it's high time all levels of government and VANOC [get] serious about this issue and [bring] the equality back," said Bains, who joined Corradini in front of the ski-jump hill that will be used for the 2010 Games.

David Emerson, Canada's federal minister responsible for the 2010 Games,  said it's "extremely disappointing" women are not being allowed to ski jump at the Olympics.

"Ski jumping is an important sport, and we're investing a lot in jumping and training in facilities in Canada, and to not have women able to participate on the same basis as men, to me, I just don't think it's right," he told reporters at Vancouver International Airport before leaving on a trade mission to Asia.

Emerson said he'll be discussing the issue with Helena Guergis, the minister of state for sport, when he returns from his trip in two weeks.

A group of Canadian women ski jumpers filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Right Commission, arguing the Olympic movement is discriminating against them.

That complaint was heard last September and a decision is expected soon.

"We're very hopeful," said Sarah Lynch, the mother of ski jumper Zoya Lynch. "As a parent, as a female, as a Canadian, it really is discrimination."