Lindsey Van
Encyclopedia
Lindsey Van is an American ski jumper
who has competed since 2002. Van won a gold medal in the inaugural women's ski jumping event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec
and has a total of eight Continental Cup
victories in her career.
In 2008, Van's knee cartilage was crushed on the landing of a practice jump; she underwent knee surgery and five months of intense rehab. She returned to competition after six months but injured her knee again. Van has experienced four knee surgeries and a ruptured spleen.
Van was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics
; she and other female ski jumpers claimed that their rights were violated because only male ski jumpers were permitted to compete in the Vancouver Olympics. The appeal was unsuccessful. Van alienated some supporters when she characterized the Canadian legal system as "weak" and said the International Olympic Committee were "like the Taliban of the Olympics."
Going into the Vancouver 2010 Games, Van held the K95 hill record of 105.5 meters at the site of the 2010 Olympic ski jumping events. This mark was surpassed several times at the 2010 Olympic Games and is now held by Simon Ammann
with a jump of 108.0 meters.
In 2011, it was announced that women's ski jumping on the normal hill would be included in the 2014 Winter Olympics
. Van said, "I was kind of numb when I heard. People expected me to be ecstatic, but I'd been after this for so long, it just didn't sink in at first."
In July 2011, nerve tissues in one of her legs became a problem.
On the appeal of her sport, Van has said, "You are up the in the air and for a minute it's as if you can fly. It's a feeling like nothing else I've ever felt, and as soon as I land, I just want to go back up to the top and do it again."
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
who has competed since 2002. Van won a gold medal in the inaugural women's ski jumping event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
and has a total of eight Continental Cup
Ski jumping Continental Cup
The FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup is arranged yearly by the International Ski Federation . It's the second-highest ski jumping season-long competition, only surpassed by the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. The cup usually consist of juniors, or jumpers who are fighting for a spot on their nation's...
victories in her career.
In 2008, Van's knee cartilage was crushed on the landing of a practice jump; she underwent knee surgery and five months of intense rehab. She returned to competition after six months but injured her knee again. Van has experienced four knee surgeries and a ruptured spleen.
Van was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
; she and other female ski jumpers claimed that their rights were violated because only male ski jumpers were permitted to compete in the Vancouver Olympics. The appeal was unsuccessful. Van alienated some supporters when she characterized the Canadian legal system as "weak" and said the International Olympic Committee were "like the Taliban of the Olympics."
Going into the Vancouver 2010 Games, Van held the K95 hill record of 105.5 meters at the site of the 2010 Olympic ski jumping events. This mark was surpassed several times at the 2010 Olympic Games and is now held by Simon Ammann
Simon Ammann
Simon Ammann is a Swiss ski jumper, and double Olympic Champion at both 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics.Ammann was born in Grabs, Switzerland, to Margit and Heinrich Ammann and raised in Unterwasser, Switzerland. He has two brothers and three sisters. He married Yana Yanovskaya on 25 June 2010...
with a jump of 108.0 meters.
In 2011, it was announced that women's ski jumping on the normal hill would be included in the 2014 Winter Olympics
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...
. Van said, "I was kind of numb when I heard. People expected me to be ecstatic, but I'd been after this for so long, it just didn't sink in at first."
In July 2011, nerve tissues in one of her legs became a problem.
On the appeal of her sport, Van has said, "You are up the in the air and for a minute it's as if you can fly. It's a feeling like nothing else I've ever felt, and as soon as I land, I just want to go back up to the top and do it again."