Olympics-Women ski jumpers can't compete in 2010, court says

* Women discriminated against, but still cannot compete

* IOC not covered by Canadian civil rights law, court says

* No yet decision on an appeal

By Allan Dowd

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 10 (Reuters) - A Canadian judge rejected a bid by female ski jumpers to compete in next year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver on Friday, but agreed they were being discriminated against .

The International Olympic Committee is discriminating against the women by barring them from the 2010 Games in Vancouver, but the IOC's decision cannot be challenged under Canada's civil rights laws, the court ruled.

"There will be little solace to the plaintiffs in my finding that they have been discriminated against; there is no remedy available to them in this court," British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon said.

Ski jumping has been an Olympic sport since 1924, and is one of the few events in either the Winter or Summer Games to not have both a men's and women's competition. All new sports allowed in the Games must have both.

The IOC has refused to sanction a women's ski jumping competition in the Games, arguing not enough women are competing in the sport worldwide for it to qualify as an Olympic-level event.

The group of 14 current and former international women ski jumpers sued the Vancouver Organizing Committee on the grounds that as the host and organizer of the Games it is required to abide by Canadian law.

VANOC has said that while it is sympathetic to the women's desire to compete, only the IOC had the authority to decide what sports are included in Olympic competition.

Fenlon said the decision whether to include women ski jumpers was not VANOC's to make.

"The IOC made a decision that discriminates against the plaintiffs. Only the IOC can alleviate that discrimination by including an Olympic ski jumping event for women in the 2010 Games," Fenlon wrote.

The international group of women, both current and former ski jumpers, dispute the IOC's claim that there are not enough jumpers internationally to qualify, and allege the IOC's decision was motivated by sexism.

The IOC has denied it is sexist.

A spokeswoman for the ski jumpers said they were very disappointed by the ruling and that they would have to study it before deciding whether to appeal.