WHISTLER, British Columbia  Coach Jochen Danenberg was walking toward the bottom of the jumping hill at the Whistler Olympic Park on Friday when he spotted a familiar face across the fence. Alissa Johnson, an American ski jumper who holds 10th place in the world rankings for women, was standing on the side reserved for spectators.

“Where are your skis?” Danenberg, the American coach, asked as he leaned over to give Johnson a kiss on the cheek.

She arched an eyebrow and kissed him back. “Yeah, right?” she said.

Johnson would have loved to have strapped on her skis and taken a shot at the big hill Friday, but women ski jumpers are not competing at the Vancouver Olympics. Despite years of protests and a court case that went all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court, the International Olympic Committee barred women from competing in ski jumping, arguing that the sport is too early in its development to field enough qualified competitors.

Instead, Johnson, who is 22, watched as a sister and supporter, cheering on her younger brother, Anders, a member of the men’s team, as he competed in the qualification round on the large hill. Anders Johnson, 20, failed to qualify for the medal round on Saturday after jumping 117 meters to finish in 42nd place, two positions below the cut. He is recovering from surgery in August to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.