08-R120
2008 -- S 2789
Enacted 03/26/08
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
RESPECTFULLY URGING
THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE TO RETHINK ITS 2006 DECISION NOT TO INCLUDE
WOMEN SKI JUMPING IN THE 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES IN VANCOUVER
Introduced By: Senators C
Levesque, Goodwin, Gallo, Paiva-Weed, and Lanzi
Date Introduced: March 05,
2008
WHEREAS,
The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) role is to “encourage and
support
the promotion of women in sports at all levels and in all structures, with a
view to
implementing
the principle of equality of men and women”; and
WHEREAS,
Across the country women’s participation in sports has been a major
concern
in the last twenty years in our schools and at our Universities, with major
strides made in
the
area. In 1991, the IOC required all new Olympic sports include women's events;
and
WHEREAS,
Unfortunately that requirement did not extend to already existing events,
rendering
gender equality in our Olympic sports and athletic competition elusive, as
evidenced by
the
IOC’s 2006 decision not to allow women ski jumpers to participate in the next
Olympic
Winter
Games in Vancouver in 2010; and
WHEREAS,
Currently, women participate in five out of seven Olympic winter sports
with
Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined (cross-country skiing and ski jumping) being
the
exceptions;
and
WHEREAS,
America’s women athletes are more than talented, they are among the best.
They
have made incredible sacrifices in commitment, time and money to become the
best, and
they
have earned the right to compete as athletes on the world stage, and to have
the same thrill of
competition
and recognition for their accomplishments; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
hereby
urges the International Olympic Committee to include women’s ski jumping in the
2010
Olympic
Winter Games; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit
a duly certified copy of this resolution to the International Olympic
Committee.
=======
LC02375
=======