Ready to Fly [1] | |
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Written by | William A. Kerig |
Produced by | Scott A. Zeller |
Starring | Lindsey Van, Jessica Jerome, Alissa Johnson, Abby Hughes, Sarah Hendrickson |
Release date | 2012 |
Running time | 1h15 |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Ready to fly is an American documentary by William A. Kerig following the true story of the fight of American women's ski jumping athletes Lindsey Van, the rest of her U.S. Women's Ski jumping Team members, Jessica Jerome, Alissa Johnson, Abby Hughes, Sarah Hendrickson and many other elite ski jumping athletes around the world to be part of the Olympic Winter Games. It was first screened during the 2013 Banff Mountain Film Festival.
Narration of the documentary is made by Diana Nyad, an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer. [2] Nyad first got national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan island and in 1979 from the Bahamas to Florida. In 2013, at age 64, after many long-distance swimming exploits, she became the first person confirmed to swim from Cuba to Florida (180 km). [3] She swam to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy. [4]
Women have been fighting for years to be able to compete in the Winter Olympics’ ski jumping category. Women have always been banned from competing in the Ski Jumping Olympic Competitions since it became an official Olympic Sport in Chamonix Olympic Winter Games in 1924. [5] The documentary states why and how the women decided to do sacrifices and were determined to be allowed to participate in 2014 Sochi's Olympic Winter Games and make their lifelong dream come true. Before they were included in 2014 Sochi's Olympic Winter Games, the women athletes from around the world could compete in national championships and the best among them had the opportunity to ski in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. This competition have been hosted yearly in 18 different countries since 1979 and is held by the International Ski Foundation. [6]
A major part of the documentary is about the lawsuit from the ski jumping elite athletes from five different countries they intended against the International Olympic Council for their exclusion of women in the ski jumping discipline. The main goal was to participate in Vancouver's Olympic Winter Games in 2010, but it never happened.
Fighting Gravity is a 2009 documentary on a similar topic.
After the film was first screened in 2013, professional athletes were able to compete in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. [8] and the German Carina Vogt was the first woman ever to receive an Olympic gold medal in Ski Jumping. [9]
Medalists [10]
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
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Women's individual normal hill | Carina Vogt Germany | 247.4 | Daniela Iraschko-Stolz Austria | 246.2 | Coline Mattel France | 245.2 |
Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final score. Ski jumping was first contested in Norway in the late 19th century, and later spread through Europe and North America in the early 20th century. Along with cross-country skiing, it constitutes the traditional group of Nordic skiing disciplines.
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Albertville '92, was a winter multi-sport event held from 8 to 23 February 1992 in and around Albertville, France. Albertville won the bid to host the Winter Olympics in 1986, beating Sofia, Falun, Lillehammer, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Anchorage, and Berchtesgaden. The 1992 Winter Olympics were the last winter games held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. The Games were the fifth Olympic Games held in France and the country's third Winter Olympics, after the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix and the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble. This games was the first of two consecutive Olympic games to be held in Western Europe, preceding the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Diana Nyad is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer. Nyad gained national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan in record time, and in 1979 when she swam from Bimini, The Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida.
Ski jumping has been included in the program of every Winter Olympic Games. From 1924 through to 1956, the competition involved jumping from one hill whose length varied from each edition of the games to the next.
Alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics was held in Russia from 9–22 February at Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort near Krasnaya Polyana, east of Sochi.
Ski jumping at the 2014 Winter Olympics was held at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center, Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. The events were held between 8 and 17 February 2014. Women competed in ski jumping for the first time in the history of Winter Olympic Games. A total of four ski jumping events were held.
Carina Vogt is a German former ski jumper.
Finland competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia from 7 to 23 February 2014. The Finnish team consisted of 103 competitors who participated in alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, ski jumping, snowboarding, and speed skating.
Switzerland competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 23 February 2014. 163 athletes were participating, making it the largest team Switzerland has ever sent to the Olympic Winter Games. The four-time Olympic gold medalist Simon Ammann was the flag bearer for the opening ceremony.
Croatia competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 23 February 2014. Croatia qualified 11 athletes, the fewest athletes in the fewest sports since the 1998 Winter Olympics.
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia from 7–23 February 2014. This marked the return of the Virgin Islands to the Winter Olympics after missing the 2010 edition, and was their sixth time competing at a Winter Olympic Games. The USVI team consisted of one athlete in alpine skiing, Jasmine Campbell. She finished 56th in the giant slalom and 43rd in the slalom.
The women's slopestyle competition of the Sochi 2014 Olympics was held at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on 6 February (qualification) and 9 February. This was the first time that a slopestyle event was included in the Olympic program.
The women's freestyle sprint cross-country skiing competition in the free technique at the 2014 Sochi Olympics took place on 11 February at Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex.
Thailand competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia from 7 to 23 February 2014. The Thai team consisted of two athletes, Vanessa Vanakorn and Kanes Sucharitakul, both competing in alpine skiing. This was Thailand's third appearance at a Winter Olympic Games, and their first since 2006, having missed the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Greece competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 23 February 2014. The Greek team consisted of seven athletes in four sports. As the founding nation of the Olympic games and in keeping with tradition, Greece entered first during the opening ceremony.
The women's 15 kilometre skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2014 Sochi Olympics took place at 14:00 (MSK) on 8 February 2014 at Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex.
Women's Ski Jumping USA is a non-profit organization responsible for the operational funding and support of the U.S. Women's ski jumping team. The organization administers funding for coaching, travel, training, equipment and development programs.
Eva Ganster is an Austrian former ski jumper. She has nine women's ski flying world records, set between 1994 and 1997.
Nicole Parks is an Australian freestyle skier. She competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where she qualified for the moguls finals, retired from competition skiing in 2017, and is now a coach.
Fighting Gravity is a documentary produced by Virginia Madsen for Empire 8 productions and Screen Sirens. The documentary screened in 2009 and followed 15 passionate women athletes' fight for their sport's inclusion in the Olympic Games. These 15 ski jumping athletes fought for their right to compete in their sport in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Starting in the Olympics in Chamonix in 1924, the Winter Olympics have always held ski jumping competitions but restricted to men.