MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - In a sometimes heated exchange, the federal Conservatives' secretary of state for sport on Saturday hit back at accusations she's not doing enough to fight for the inclusion of women's ski jumping at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
  
Speaking at an all-party forum on party platforms and funding for amateur sport, Helena Guergis told the gathering of amateur athletes and officials that the government is doing all it can to ensure the event is included at the Vancouver Games.

Ontario NDP candidate Liam McHugh-Russell, attending in the place of MP Olivia Chow, told the crowd the Conservatives have failed to uphold the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by not ensuring female ski jumpers have a place at the Games.

"We need leadership on this issue," said McHugh-Russell.

The federal government is lobbying the International Olympic Committee to change its position and allow for the sport's inclusion, said Guergis.

"I've been to 20 countries in the past year and any opportunity I get to speak with any sport minister or anyone that has to do with the International Olympic Committee, I raise this issue," Guergis replied.

"You are not aware of any of the things I've done sir, so please do not comment."

In 2006, the International Olympic Committee voted to exclude women's ski jumping from the 2010 Games because it didn't meet the basic criteria for an Olympic event.

For a sport to be included, it must have held at least two world championships. The first women's ski jumping world championship is scheduled for 2009.

This week, a 17-year-old female ski jumper announced that she's joining a lawsuit over the exclusion of women's ski jumping from the 2010 Games, making her the first active Canadian athlete to be part of the legal challenge.

Zoya Lynch is now among 10 female athletes -- mostly from the United States and Europe -- who are suing Vancouver Olympic organizers because the sport isn't on the lineup.

The lawsuit, which was launched against the Games' organizers and not the International Olympic Committee, alleges that excluding the event violates the athletes' rights under charter.

It asks for women's ski jumping to be added to the 2010 Games, or for men's ski jumping to be removed.

Lynch said Wednesday in Vancouver that the federal government had let her and other female athletes down.

"I had faith that the Canadian government was going to help us out, but unfortunately its been too long and the Olympics are a year and a half away, so this is the last thing that we can do," she said.

Lynch was unavailable for comment Saturday, but her mother Sarah Lynch watched the all-party forum via webcast.

She said she was encouraged by some of Guergis's statements that she's working to get the event included, but was also puzzled by others.

"(Guergis) made a comment that no government has decision-making power over the (International Olympic Committed) rules, but then she made another comment about how the International Olympic Committee are not above the Canadian charter," Sarah Lynch said in an interview from Whistler, B.C.

"Our question is will Canada stand up to the (International Olympic Committee) because in our country, this is considered discrimination. We're wondering, what if the IOC said no blacks could compete, would Canada stand up to them?"

After the all-party forum, Guergis said she understood the frustration of the athletes.

"They want to represent their country. No one can knock them for this. I applaud them, and I support them, and I'll continue to do whatever I can," she said.

But with 18 months to go before the start of the 2010 Games, time is running short for an issue that is about more than sport, said Sarah Lynch.

"This is a women's rights issue. We're not trying to make it a ski-jumping issue," she said.

"We believe that in Canada, the International Olympic Committee would be breaking our laws."