Lindsey Vonn Male circuit for WC

ESPN:

Lindsey Vonn's request to compete in a men's World Cup downhill race has been rejected by the International Ski Federation.

The FIS council met Saturday in Oberhofen, Switzerland, and "confirmed that one gender is not entitled to participate in races of the other," adding in a statement that "exceptions will not be made to the FIS Rules."

Vonn, a four-time overall World Cup champion, wanted to enter the men's downhill on Nov. 24 at Lake Louise, Alberta, six days before the women race on the same course.

"It's very clear," FIS secretary general Sarah Lewis told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It's called the men's World Cup and the ladies' World Cup. The men race the men's World Cup and the ladies race the ladies' World Cup. FIS and World Cup points are not transferrable from one circuit to another."


http://espn.go.com/olympics/skiing/story/_/id/8587382/lindsey-vonn-request-race-men-rejected

I am not suprised.

FIS = Fun Is Stupid

This would be the most press coverage ski racing could get outside of an Olympics and the FIS is blowing it.  What do you expect from an organization that decided to eliminate 15 years of ski technology advancement and go back to straight skis.  

Coach Z wrote

FIS = Fun Is Stupid

This would be the most press coverage ski racing could get outside of an Olympics and the FIS is blowing it.  What do you expect from an organization that decided to eliminate 15 years of ski technology advancement and go back to straight skis.

The ski rule change was dumb, I agree. But I am not convinced women and men should be competing at the same events for most sports. The last time this attempted cross over happened (as best as I can recall) was Annika Sörenstam played in a men's golf tournament in 2003 (a PGA Tour event, not a major). She missed the cut and finished near the bottom of the pack. And she was the best women golfer at the time.

If the best women athlete in her sport finishes at the bottom of the pack in a regular season event (not even a "championship" or highlight event of the year), I can't see what the point is. That means that the top female athletes can barely be competitive among the worst of the top men. I don't see this as opening doors. It is a single person ego trip, perhaps that will generate some publicity for the individual and a brief news bump for the sport. And PR isn't going to bring in new fans, it is just going to be the talk of the day for one day.

Not against women sport, far from it. I think the better thing to do is to spend more time highlighting womens sport of all kinds. Maybe if the ladies got similar money, highlights, media attention, and accolades as the men, the women wouldn't feel the need to try these types of cross overs.

The biggest issue here is that the women ski the same course as the men, but after the mens race. It would be an unfair training run for Vonn to get on course practice and race time in advanced of the womens race.

I don't think Lindsey is hurting for endorsements.  She is the #42 in rankings of sports endorsements and tops among skiers.  
http://www.sportspromedia.com/notes_and_insights/the_worlds_42nd_most_marketable_athlete_-_lindsey_vonn/

How unfair would it really be for the other women?  They get 2-3 training runs each for the DH so if Lindsey offered to give up a training run in exchange for running with the men it would be a wash.  I'm not sure if the gates are in the same postion for both men and women. I think this is the only venue where both the men and women race on the same course.

This is a huge opportunity to gain exposure and it certainly would be interesting to watch.

tjf1967 wrote

She should just go in penthouse.  problem solved

TJ...you never disappoint!!

I think allowing Lindsey to compete with the men would be nothing but a sideshow and wouldn't do anything to promote skiing.

As in the previously cited example of Annika Sorenstam competing in a men's tour event, she failed miserably and wasn't even close to making the cut. This is a woman who totally dominated women's golf and finished 1st or 2nd in almost 1/2 of the events she ever entered! Michelle Wie also tried a couple of times and failed.

 It's just not a good idea..

Have to agree w coach Z, I think any added publicity that skiing can get is needed. As for Sorenstam or Wie, yeah they did finish way down when competing with the men but it sure garnered a lot of attention. And if either of them had played anywhere near what they are capable of it would have been a different story. If Lindsay got a shot and had a great day I'll bet there would be more than a few embarrassed guys at the end of the race.

Actually they DID play near their capabilities but from the Men's tournament tees...completely different animal...Maybe it would be a different story for skiing though!

My take on the tennis and golf examples would be exactly like this publicity event....let them play!

I dont think the women who wanted to compete against the men had any idea or belief that some day there would be co-ed sports.  Rather, it was just a  "hey, lets do this and see where we are at"   kind of thing.   I dont think Lindsey believes she would top the men's course, she just wants to compete and see what it is like in that area.      While doing that, skiing gets huge publicity.     Win-win.    

She then picks up her skis and goes back to the woman's event.  Nothing more, nothing less.    Someone 10 yrs from now might ask for another shot.        Proof?  We are still talking about the co-ed tennis and golf matches.   And these sports are no where close to becomming co-ed.    

Time for skiing to take advantage of Lindsey's offer/desire.  This is a gift-horse in my view.     True, while some might aruge it would hurt Lindsey or Women's WC, I still believe the good more than outweighs any bad publicity.            

Lindsey is "Ill" according to this story.  


http://www.planetski.eu/news/4379



However as an update to this thread the following two paragraphs are worthy of noting:   1) she must really want to do this if she is hiring attornies to look into or challenge the decision.     Would not think that move is about publicity.    2) She obviously wants more than just to time herself against the men, because that option, suggested here, has been turned down.  


"She has been in the headlines recently for her desire to compete against the men in the downhill in Lake Louise, Canada and has been consulting lawyers over the decision by World Cup organisers not to allow her to do so.

She was though offered the option to race as a fore-runner on the course and would thus have been able to compare her times against the men."