The International Olympic Committee says gender discrimination had nothing to do with its decision not to allow women ski jumping into the 2010 Olympic Games. Instead, the IOC says the decision was based on "technical merit."

In an email to Canadian media outlets Wednesday, IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said its governing body votes to include only sports that meet its rigid criteria.

"The IOC would like to stress again the decision not to include Women's Ski Jumping has been taken purely on technical merit. Any reference to the fact that this is a matter about gender inequality is totally inappropriate and misleading," wrote Moreau.

Some ski jumpers have complained that excluding the sport from the Olympics is discriminatory. As part of a settlement for a complaint filed on behalf of women ski jumpers with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Ottawa announced this week that it wanted to discuss the matter with the IOC.

On Tuesday, the federal government and the Canadian Olympic Committee promised to step up the pressure to get female competitors the same chance to take part in the sport as their male counterparts.

"The IOC just keeps shutting us down and keeps shutting us down. It's so disappointing," said Zoya Lynch, a ski jumper from Calgary.

One of the athletes who helped launch the human rights complaint says she's not giving up.

"Right now, I don't know what we're going to do, but I want to keep on fighting," said Katie Willis of Calgary, whose mother helped file the complaint.

But Moreau said that there were not enough competing athletes to justify a sport, and that there had not been enough world championships to justify it.

But advocates of women's ski jumping say the sport has broader appeal than some others included in the Vancouver-Whistler Games. They say there are 135 female ski jumpers in 16 countries.

The statement said the IOC may include the sport at the future Olympic Games.

The Canadian Olympic Committee says it will push the IOC to include women in 2010.

"It's the right and just thing to do. It's the proper thing to do," said Michael Chambers, the president of the COC.

"It will be better for the Olympic Games if you do make this exception. I don't think it's arguing against their decision as opposed to try to lead them to a better decision."

The lack of female competitors in Olympic ski jumping is an accident of history. Any new Olympic event added since 1991 must include a competition for men and women.

But ski jumping has been an Olympic sport since the 1924 Olympics, excluding the sport from the gender-equality requirement.