The Swede came to ski jumping through his father, who took over responsibility for the Swedish Ski Games in Falun in the early 80s and realized that the ski competitions needed a little more love. When her sister, who was ten years younger than her, started jumping, it was difficult for her not to really get involved in it.
Since Marit Stub Nybelius didn’t want to jump herself, she decided to train as a judge and received full training in 1991. After trials in Sweden, her career continued internationally in 1998. She hadn’t thought about it before, but soon realized that there were never any other women among the judges.
– When we train, we stand there and discuss jumping. And in the beginning I noticed that when I did difficult jumps, they would turn to me and ask, “What would you give?” If I said it correctly, I would get an “Oooh!” (She gives surprised applause).
It was like a test?
– Yes, absolutely. One of the older judges would check whether I – a 25-year-old blonde girl from small Sweden – could actually do it.
A few years later Marit Stub Nybelius began judging, a colleague traveled from France.
– But I only met her in 2015. Now I would estimate that we are about 15 women out of about 150 judges total.
The selection as a juror at the major championships (Junior World Championships, World Championships, Olympic Games and Ski Flying World Championships) follows a procedure: countries are nominated, which in turn appoint the judges. So Sweden is not always an option. The last time Sweden had a referee at the Olympics was in 2010.
Marit Stub Nybelius led the 2004 Junior World Championships, the 2023 World Championships and is now one of two referees at the Olympic Games in Milan Cortina – together with the Italian Giovanna Comina. The other four judges come from France, Germany, Canada and Switzerland.
– First day of competition… it felt like it was the Olympics for the first time. And it was special that Giovanna and I stood there together. After the competition we really hugged each other.
The Swede has no need highlighting itself as historical, but wants to highlight the symbolism. She says she reacted when the great ski jumping nation of Norway started making a big splash when they got their first female judges – 10 to 15 years after she started.
– Because it’s only then not is strange because it is the same. But this time it feels different. It’s important to get the word out that we’re here at the Olympics to emphasize that women are now participating at all levels. For recruiting younger women.
Equality in sport has been an issue for many years. A development is underway. At these games the women had to jump on the large hill for the first time. And for next season, the women will be allowed to take part in all the same competitions as the men on the famous New Year’s Tour. However, the prize money is still different.
– But the strangest thing is that it took such an incredibly long time for something to happen. Considering that the first documented woman jumper jumped in 1863, says Marit Stub Nybelius.
That’s what she says In 1991, the world’s first girls’ class was introduced in her hometown of Falun. Connectivity with the US and Canada began, but the rest of the world was not ready.
A long-standing myth was that women could be injured by the landings, that the uterus could fall out. And there was also resistance from the International Ski Federation (FIS). Former CEO Gian-Franco Kasper said in 2005, among other things, that ski jumping “doesn’t seem to be suitable for women from a medical point of view” – a statement he later had to retract.
But Norway had begun to get involved, as had Austria. Women were allowed to take part in the 2009 World Cup and in 2014 the women were included in the Olympic program.
– A mixed competition was introduced back in 2013, when the World Cup took place here. It was a bit chaotic there, something that only biathlon had before. Then I thought, “Wow, something is happening now.” But then things go a little slow again.
Fis started last year a working group for the development of women’s ski jumping, of which Marit Stub Nybelius is a member.
– We don’t sit and compare men and women, but rather try to make suggestions to strengthen an already strong product. And we ask questions like “Is it good or bad to take part in all World Cup competitions with men?”
She looks positively into the future.
– I think this will happen quite often in the coming years. I understand that we passed… well, it’s just a matter of driving.
Facts.Ski jumping at the Olympic Games
Is one of the sports included in the first Games in Chamonix in 1924.
In 1964, another competition was added in Innsbruck – on a large hill that was then 90 meters high.
In 1988 a team competition was introduced in Calgary.
A 120 meter piste was introduced in Lillehammer in 1994, making the 90 meter piste a normal piste and the 70 meter piste disappearing.
In 2014, women were allowed to compete in the normal downhill.
A mixed team competition was on the program in Beijing 2022.
In Milano Cortina 2026, women were also allowed to compete on the large hill, but there is no team competition.
Footnote: All ski jumping competitions have been decided, but the final Nordic Combined competition (where jumping is the first competition) will take place on Thursday, February 19th.
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