“Sport isn’t just for men, it’s for people”

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, America was first introduced to Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Briana Scurry, Michelle Akers and Brandi Chastain – the stars of the US soccer team that won gold medals.

But lurking in the shadows was Anita DeFrantz, who deserved a pat on the back.

From softball to ski jumping, DeFrantz pushed for giving women the opportunity to compete in the Olympics.Getty Images

Four years ago, football wasn’t even a women’s Olympic sport. Not softball, wrestling, or boxing. Injustice gnawed at DeFrantz, whose life’s work had always been to eradicate social or gender discrimination.

“I believe that access to sport is a birthright,” she said. “And that’s why everyone should play sports. Sport isn’t just for men, it’s for people.”

At the 1994 Olympic Congress in Paris, an IOC commission came to the conclusion that far too few women are involved in the Olympic movement. IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch saw the pictorial steam coming out of DeFrantz’s ears. So in 1995 he appointed her Chair of the Women in Sport Commission.

“It became my job to fix it,” she says.

At the 1996 Games, soccer and softball were Olympic sports. Women’s wrestling followed in 2004, and in 2012 women’s boxing was added as the final summer Olympic event. But on the Winter Olympics side, one sport has consistently been blocked: women’s ski jumping.

The prevailing opinion in skiing circles was that a woman’s internal organs – ovaries, etc. – could be damaged during the jumps. But DeFrantz scoffed. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Their goal was to match every male event with a female event. “I wanted the Olympic movement to look like the world, you know?” she said.

Their trick was to corner the then President of the International Ski Federation, Gian Franco Kasper. And one day in 2012, when they were in a Japanese courtesy car together, they had the following dialogue:

DeFrantz: “I’ve noticed that the men’s jumps are getting bigger and more daring.”

Kaspar: “Yes.”

DeFrantz: “Is it true that the federation is concerned about the internal organs of women who ski jump?”

Kaspar: “Yes.”

DeFrantz: “You know, with this new approach, I would think it’s a man [anatomy] would be in greater danger than that of a woman.”

Not a word was spoken for five minutes. Until Kasper just blurted out, “I think you’re right.”

Women’s Olympic ski jumping made its debut at the 2014 Games in Sochi.