ISU Congress & elections 2022

[sk9tingfan]

The age issue is not only being covered in major publications, i.e., NY Times, CNN and the Washington Post, it is hitting local news casts. Let's see if it appears on National Nightly News

 

[slicekw]

Good on the minimums, but I really hoped raising junior pairs to women age 21 would be accepted.

 

[marbri]

And to this point, I wish that the ISU Council had supported Canada's proposal to raise the age max for junior pairs & dance women to 21. This was specifically submitted to address the power imbalance that often results due to wide age differences like Baram/Tioumentsev. As it is, there has already been plenty of discussion in the US Pairs discussion thread about the longterm viability of this pair due to the age difference. If the age increase results in them breaking up, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, regardless of the shape of the rest of the US Pairs program at this moment.

I was glad SC pushed for an electronic vote as the initial show of hands left the impression few supported it but the electronic vote put it closer to a 50/50 split which I think will help in future attempts. Although the odd Papa will be concerned about the boys having to lift an older woman (assuming he missed all the old ladies like Duhamel, Savchenko, Knierim etc.. being hoisted aloft by their partners)

 

[overedge]

I see some news sites are framing the age limit change as "after the doping scandal", which is definitely part of the reasons. But I wish they'd also focus on it (hopefully) addressing the health and well-being of young athletes.

 

[Karen-W]

I see some news sites are framing the age limit change as "after the doping scandal", which is definitely part of the reasons. But I wish they'd also focus on it (hopefully) addressing the health and well-being of young athletes.

Or at least do some basic research and realize this was in the works BEFORE the Olympics. All the Olympics did was ensure its passage.

 

[overedge]

Or at least do some basic research and realize this was in the works BEFORE the Olympics. All the Olympics did was ensure its passage.

Most articles about skating are written by non-specialists in skating, even within sports departments, so IMO just having this news covered at all is an accomplishment.

 

[Sylvia]

ICYMI earlier today, I posted about the extensive media coverage for the age limit increase in the thread on this topic: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...commissions-report.109693/page-2#post-6263988

Here's the ISU Congress schedule for tonight/today (one session only):

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8​

~ 09.00 to 12.30 Congress – agenda items A.17-A.18 (if not completed before)​

combined stream with Figure Skating session below​

https://youtu.be/w23ubcoU-Rc [Jun 7 at 9:45 pm EDT]​

...

~ Figure Skating Branch Session – agenda items C.1-C.11​

combined stream with Congress stream above​

ETA that Craig Buntin's company (advanced AI technology in sports) was mentioned by Lakernik, but there's no figure skating section on the website at this time: https://sportlogiq.com/en/

 

[Karen-W]

So, they've managed to get through 7 proposals and are now taking a 20 minute coffee break.
Proposal #153 - WITHDRAWN in favor of 154
Proposal #154 (Netherlands split judging panel) - WITHDRAWN - many objections due to a lack of testing and consideration of the logistics involved, so there will be a budget resolution to have testing over the next 2 seasons and revisit this again in 2024
Proposal #155 - ACCEPTED
Proposal #156 - ACCEPTED
Proposal #157 (New Zealand annual review of PCS factoring) - REJECTED
Proposal #158 - TABLED until after the PCS reduction to 3 categories as it relates to this
Proposal #159 - REJECTED

Up next - the Qualifying Rounds proposal for ISU Championships

 

[victorskid]

The resolution, with budget, related to proposal 154 will be coordinated by the Technical Committee representative, Mr. Bianchetti, for presentation to the Congress in connection with the budget later in the week.

No coffee for me - I'm off to bed

 

[ice coverage]

... ETA that Craig Buntin's company (advanced AI technology in sports) was mentioned by Lakernik, but there's no figure skating section on the website at this time: https://sportlogiq.com/en/

Craig Buntin formerly had a separate name -- VeriSkate -- for his computer vision software for figure skating analysis.

He had the opportunity to test VeriSkate at 2014 Skate Canada International.

Glad to see that the ISU finally is working with him many years later.

 

[Debbie S]

Listening to Lakernik is painful.

Is his term over yet?

 

[On My Own]

Is his term over yet?

Nearly so.

Just joined. Going by the stream chat... the QR round proposal just passed?

 

[Debbie S]

Nearly so.

Just joined. Going by the stream chat... the QR round proposal just passed?

Yes

 

[Karen-W]

No kidding @Debbie S - between English not being his native language and the obvious ageing going on with him... This is painful. Did he even read any of the proposals prior to the Congress? Or was he too busy kissing Putin's ass?

 

[tony]

Not a fan of bringing back the qualifying round for the what, fourth or fifth different iteration now. I actually really like the TES benchmark and the opportunity that skaters have to reach it throughout the (two) year(s) prior to the Worlds in question.

Up to 54 entries in mens and womens singles? Meh. I'm all for more skating, but skaters also get many more opportunities these days along with every last competition being filmed for memories as opposed to the 90s where the skaters who didn't qualify only got to share their performances with the minimal crowds there early in the week. At least it isn't divided by 4 and added to the skaters' overall points, I guess?

 

[tony]

Separate thought and it may have already been pointed out, but in the Congress agenda where the QR is outlined, it seems pairs skating is back to 16 teams qualifying for the free skate under their new plan?

 

[On My Own]

I was only half-watching, but why was 163 withdrawn?

 

[Karen-W]

Separate thought and it may have already been pointed out, but in the Congress agenda where the QR is outlined, it seems pairs skating is back to 16 teams qualifying for the free skate under their new plan?

Yes - 24 teams in the SP and 16 to the free.

I was only half-watching, but why was 163 withdrawn?

to present a resolution & budget to create a working group for the OWG qualifying process in FS.

 

[On My Own]

to present a resolution & budget to create a working group for the OWG qualifying process in FS.

So when will they next consider it? 2024 Congress?

 

[Karen-W]

So when will they next consider it? 2024 Congress?

Yes, I believe so.

 

[On My Own]

Yes, I believe so.

OK, that's encouraging. Lakernik won't be there, and hopefully Boris Chait will be chained and gagged somewhere.

 

[lexeoe]

i have a concern with the age policy. granted it will be increased to 17, what will stop the russians and the chinese from not falsifyig their documents? remember china lost a gymnastics medal from sydney when one of their gymnasts was discovered to be too young to compete.

 

[Karen-W]

i have a concern with the age policy. granted it will be increased to 17, what will stop the russians and the chinese from not falsifyig their documents? remember china lost a gymnastics medal from sydney when one of their gymnasts was discovered to be too young to compete.

I think it's going to be hard for Russia to get away with falsifying ages mainly because there are so many lower level comps that are getting streamed these days and people are talking about skaters when they're 9-11 already. It would raise a bunch of red flags if suddenly the age of these wunderkinds increased by a couple of years from where it's been at in recent years.

 

[On My Own]

people are talking about skaters when they're 9-11 already.

Well, or 6 in some cases. I wish they didn't.

 

[MacMadame]

Listening to Lakernik is painful.

Is his term over yet?

We'll be rid of him sooner now that the age increase for officials was rejected.

i have a concern with the age policy. granted it will be increased to 17, what will stop the russians and the chinese from not falsifyig their documents? remember china lost a gymnastics medal from sydney when one of their gymnasts was discovered to be too young to compete.

Cheating on age documents is tricky. You have to start early when you don't know who will have the potential to need it. Once a skater has gotten public attention, it's probably too late as too many people outside the country know their real age.

I'm not saying they won't do it. I'm saying it will be one or two skaters here and there, not all of them. That's how it was with China. And China getting caught means they have to be even more careful so it would be even less of them.

Hopefully, the ISU would get smarter about this and do a better job verifying ages as well but I'm not counting on that.

ETA posting at the same time as @Karen-W

 

[Karen-W]

Really... The end of this Congress and Lakernik's reign cannot come too soon. There are soooooo many more proposals to get through tomorrow still and given how long the 30 or so they got through today took...

Proposals #160 & 161 (Worlds QR) - ACCEPTED
Proposal #162 (ISU Championship TES mins published by 8/1 annually) - ACCEPTED
Proposal #163 - Withdrawn - a resolution & budget to create a working group for OWG qualifying will be submitted instead
Proposal #164 - Withdrawn (in conjunction with 153 being withdrawn earlier)
Proposal #165 - ACCEPTED
Proposals #166, 178, 179, 180 & 181 - ACCEPTED - also recommend to full Congress they vote in favor of Proposal #31
Proposal #167 - REJECTED
Proposal #168 - ACCEPTED
Proposals #169, 171, 173, 175, 177, 182 & 183 - ACCEPTED
Proposal #170 - AMENDED - I didn't catch the exact language
Also accepted earlier under the Drafting Matters portion of the agenda - Proposals #186 & 195

That leaves 18 Special Regulations as well as the 51 Technical Rule proposals (including the PCS one) for tomorrow.

 

[On My Own]

https://twitter.com/sywtwfs/ this has helpful tweets about what happened with screenshots of each proposal, in case you're lazy like me and don't want to have the agenda open in one tab and the congress video in another.

 

[misskarne]

I'm a bit perplexed about the qualifying round proposal. I thought one of the main reasons it was removed all those years ago was the massive expense that went into hosting Worlds, and eliminating qualifying rounds was an easy way to cut down costs.

Having a qualifying round means extra ice time, extra accommodation, extra food etc. It means extra leave or time off work for judges, volunteers, officials.

I simply cannot fathom that any of those things have somehow got less expensive since the qualifying round was cut...

 

[allezfred]

I'm a bit perplexed about the qualifying round proposal. I thought one of the main reasons it was removed all those years ago was the massive expense that went into hosting Worlds, and eliminating qualifying rounds was an easy way to cut down costs.

Having a qualifying round means extra ice time, extra accommodation, extra food etc. It means extra leave or time off work for judges, volunteers, officials.

I simply cannot fathom that any of those things have somehow got less expensive since the qualifying round was cut...

The ISU has allocated an additional $500,000 to the organisers to support it. When the qualifying rounds were held in the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 season, skaters who competed in the qualifying rounds had to pay their accommodation/meals in advance. If they qualified, it was reimbursed.

I think they have also cut one day of practice for all the skaters as well.

 

[marbri]

So just started watching the Figure Skating Branch Session and it is soooooo painful watching Lakernik start this and what confidence can anyone have in any votes when the delegates seem to struggle massively pushing a button to indicate they are present....