The International Skating Union Congress has voted in favour of the ISU Council Proposal 22 to gradually increase the age limit for senior skaters from 15 to 17 years for the sake of protecting the physical and mental health, and emotional well-being of the skaters.
There will be no change for the season 2022/23. An increase to 16 years for the season 2023/24 and an increase to 17 years for the season 2024/25 and subsequent seasons will then be implemented.
The 58th Ordinary ISU Congress continued on June 7 with a report from the ISU Disciplinary Commission and with the full Congress session where over 250 delegates voted on a number of proposals regarding the ISU Constitution and General Regulations.
The decision of ISU comes after the controversy surrounding Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Valieva, then 15, was provisionally banned in Beijing for a failed drug test.
After getting provisionally banned, the Russian competed in the women's free skate at Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in which the 15-year-old fell several times.
Short program leader Kamila Valieva stumbled in her free skate, finishing in fourth place overall. Valieva struggled to stay upright on a quad Salchow and triple Axel to open her program, then fell on the back end of a quad toe-triple Salchow combination. She was fifth in the free skate, totalling 224.09 - 10 points shy of the podium.
The elections of ISU Office Holders, including the position of ISU President, will take place on June 10. The list of nominees are presented per position and in alphabetical order. However, the sequence in which the candidates for the different positions will be presented during the elections will be drawn in the presence of the ISU auditor.
The ISU Council and the Figure and Speed Skating Association of Thailand are hosting ISU Members to the 58th Ordinary ISU Congress which is currently being held in Phuket (THA) at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa till June 10.
Every Congress sees major decisions about the future and direction of the ISU. In 2022 almost 250 proposals will be discussed and voted by Congress.
Joint ISU Members for Figure Skating and Speed Skating have two votes on each proposal dealt with in the plenary session, whereas ISU Members for Figure Skating or Speed Skating alone are entitled to one vote.
Proposals require a two-thirds majority of ISU Members in favor in order to be accepted - expect for Technical Rules that require a simple majority. The elections will follow the procedure as per Article 30 of the ISU Constitution and General Regulations.
Urgent Matters can be submitted no later than three weeks before the Congress and shall be certified as urgent business by a four-fifths majority of ISU Members present and voting.
( With inputs from ANI )
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