Catching Up With Jessica Jerome

Jessica Jerome, a member of the Unites States' women's ski jumping national team, is a seven-time National Champion. She has notched 15 career podium finishes on the Continental Cup Circuit and finished 6th at the 2009 World Championships. Jerome was also one of 15 women from around the world to sue the Vancouver Olympic Committee in an attempt to add women's ski jumping to the Olympic program. I recently had a chance to talk with her about her ski jumping career and the future of her sport.

How did you first get into ski jumping?
I got into jumping when I was 7. The local club in Park City came to my school and handed out brochures. I started in a 1 day a week program.

When did you realize you could be an elite ski jumper?
Probably when I was 12. My mom sat me down and said you can do this and try to be good at it and take it seriously or just do it as a hobby. When I at the Junior Olympic age, my biggest goal was trying to qualify for Junior Olympics. I was training more frequently and competing in more domestic competitions. I competed overseas for the first time at 14.

What is competing on the Continental Cup circuit like?
I have been doing it for long time and want to see it improve. We have been coming to same hills for 10 years. They are too small and too outdated. It is the only international competition we have. It needs to be given a little bit of makeover, more up to date venues and bigger hills. Lots of the hills we jump in winter the guys don't compete on anymore, which is not good. There are three levels of competition for men and one circuit for women, meaning that it is one size fits all. It is hard for lots of girls to get better when jumping with the best in world. If there was another competition aimed at less advanced girls, they could improve and come onto higher level circuit once ready. Sometimes we get to jump hills that are great. However, lots of the hills don't even have clubs that jump at them. The hills are only prepared the one weekend the girls are there. If they don't use them ever, why are they used for us?

Is there a women's Nordic Combined scene in the USA or internationally?
No, though when we were growing up and joined a [Nordic] club, we, and everyone else, did Nordic Combined. We messed around and played games. When we got older, we dropped cross country because we liked jumping more. Maybe there is a Nordic Combined scene at a club level, but jumping has to be developed internationally before there can be international Nordic Combined.
It will for sure happen eventually because cross country for women is really far along and developed internationally. Jumping is there as well but not recognized. Nordic Combined will happen eventually; it will be something kids grow up doing. They won't take ski jumpers and teach them how to cross country ski.

How do you balance school with competing in Europe?
I am on the 10-year plan with school. I take spring semesters off and take classes in the summer and fall in the US. In other places, for example in Lillehammar, they have a school in the same town as the ski jump. When I go to Europe, I stay in Europe for 3 weeks while the Norwegians can go in and out of countries for the weekend. It is impossible to go to school full time in the winter [for American athletes].

What do you think is the future of women's ski jumping?
I think it will go in the direction of all winter sports. It will be in the Olympics at some point, participation will rise, there will be a World Cup circuit. It will happen in time.

Do you think the sport will be included in the 2014 Olympics? Why?
I have no idea honestly. I hope it is, it is more than ready to be [in the Olympics]. Only positive things will come [from having women's ski jumping in the Olympics]. I am not the person that makes those decisions. I don't know yet.

Do you think that the fact that boxing for women will finally be added to the Olympics in 2012 will help women's ski jumping be included or do you think it is a completely independent thing?
Both, they are completely separate because boxing is part of the Summer Olympics, but it could help though because the IOC wants to make men's participation levels more even. It is a step in right direction.

Do you think the IOC needs new leadership to give women's sports more equitable treatment?
There needs to be more women in the organization. It is lacking there. The leadership they have has been success on some issues but not others. New leaders would not necessarily be a bad thing but it won't happen anytime soon.