ISU communication on Entries for 2026-2027 championships & TES minimums

[victorskid]

https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.azurefd.net/isudamcontainer/CMS/Corporate-Site/Governance/Transparency/ISU-Communications/2818-Entries-ISU-FS---SYS-Championships-2027-1787575147-5364.pdf

The TES minimums appear to be unchanged.

 

[spin2win]

This seems in line with what ISU told Jackie Wong who asked about a world record reset: https://x.com/rockerskating/status/2091900473984872912?s=20

Response from ISU on scores and records this season:
“The ISU has reviewed scoring under the revised International Judging System and has determined that, at this stage, there is insufficient basis to reset the existing World Records.
The ISU will continue to monitor results throughout the season and will review the situation should further evidence indicate that a reset may be justified.”

 

[Karen-W]

ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2027 (no changes from last season's CTES mins):
MEN 109.00
WOMEN 88.00
PAIR SKATING 91.00
ICE DANCE 98.00

ISU European, ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2027 (no changes from last season's CTES mins):
MEN 86.00
WOMEN 75.00
PAIR SKATING 75.00
ICE DANCE 85.00

ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2027 (no changes from last season's CTES mins):
JUNIOR MEN 80.00
JUNIOR WOMEN 72.00
JUNIOR PAIR SKATING 63.00
JUNIOR ICE DANCE 71.00

In past seasons, the Olympics CTES minimums has been the same as the Europeans/4CCs CTES minimums, but this is not stated explicitly in this communication.

The Combined Total Elements Score (not including Component Scores) is calculated by adding the Skaters/Couples highest Technical Elements Score in Short Program / Rhythm Dance and the Free Skating / Free Dance and must have been reached in an ISU recognized International Competition (as per Article 39, paragraph 7 of the ISU Constitution and Rule 107, paragraphs 1 to 10 of the ISU General Regulations) during the ongoing or preceding season (See ISU Special Regulations Single &Pair Skating Ice Dance, Rule 378, paragraph 4). The Skaters/Couples highest Technical Elements Score in Short Program / Rhythm Dance and the Free Skating / Free Dance to calculate the Combined Technical Elements Score may be reached at different competitions.

The Minimum Technical Elements Score must be reached 28 (twenty-eight) days before the first day(first official practice day) of the Championships concerned (same as entry deadline).

If it would become evident that the number of entries based on the Combined Total Elements Scores listed above would be significantly higher or lower than expected, the ISU Council reserves the right to adjust the Combined Total Elements Scores in order to achieve the above-mentioned objective. ISU Members will be informed latest 45 days prior to the entry deadline of the respective Championships if the announced required Combined Total Elements Score will be adjusted or will remain as announced. In case of the continental Championships the announcement for both European and Four Continents Championships will be made 45 days prior to the entry deadline of the earlier Championships, in this case the European Championships.

Senior Men	Senior Women	Senior Pairs	Senior Ice Dance
Junior Men	Junior Women	Junior Pairs	Junior Ice Dance

ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2027
Men
3: FRA JPN USA
2: CAN EST ITA SUI

Women
3: JPN USA
2: BEL EST GEO ITA KOR

Pairs
3: GEO GER
2: ARM CAN CHN HUN JPN SUI USA

Ice Dance
3: CAN FRA USA
2: CZE ESP FRA GEO GBR LTU

ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026
Men
3: EST GEO ITA
2: CZE ISR LAT SVK SUI UKR

Women
3: BEL ITA
2: EST FIN GEO POL SUI

Pairs
3: GEO GER
2: CZE FRA GBR HUN ITA POL SUI

Ice Dance
3: FRA
2: CZE ESP FIN GEO GBR ITA LTU

ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2026
Men
3: JPN KOR USA
2: BEL GER NZL

Women
3: JPN
2: AUS CHN GEO ISR KOR SUI USA

Pairs
3: CAN CHN USA
2: FRA ITA UKR

Ice Dance
3: FRA ITA USA
2: AUT CAN CZE GER UKR

The following ISU Members, as non-European Federations may participate in the ISU Four Continents Championships ("... will have open entries with each ISU Member entitled to enter up to a maximum of three (3) entries for each event."):
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Ecuador
Egypt
Hong Kong/China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Republic of Korea
Kuwait
Malaysia
Mexico
Mongolia
Morocco
New Zealand
Peru
Philippines
D.P.R. Korea
South Africa
Singapore
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Chinese Taipei
United Arab Emirates
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Vietnam

 

[tony]

Not changing the minimums, especially in men and pairs (but across all disciplines) is a joke. No one ran any numbers, or maybe they really think all these substitute elements are going to keep the scores up. They won’t.

The Skating Session by Tony Wheeler on Instagram: "Bookmark this post for later in the season when the ISU uses their math skills."

5 likes, 1 comments - theskatingsession on August 24, 2026: "Bookmark this post for later in the season when the ISU uses their math skills.".

www.instagram.com

Anyways, fully expect the ISU to backpedal the numbers somewhere in the middle of the season.

 

[barbk]

Not changing the minimums, especially in men and pairs (but across all disciplines) is a joke. No one ran any numbers, or maybe they really think all these substitute elements are going to keep the scores up. They won’t.

The Skating Session by Tony Wheeler on Instagram: "Bookmark this post for later in the season when the ISU uses their math skills."

5 likes, 1 comments - theskatingsession on August 24, 2026: "Bookmark this post for later in the season when the ISU uses their math skills.".

www.instagram.com

Anyways, fully expect the ISU to backpedal the numbers somewhere in the middle of the season.

I wonder if their underlying goal is to reduce entries.

 

[tony]

I wonder if their underlying goal is to reduce entries.

I think it's just a case of the ISU not thinking things out
But it makes no sense to allow skaters to have qualified from 2025/2026 numbers but then any juniors or skaters who have improved this season are at a disadvantage to try and hit the target. If they reduce the entries further, it's almost pushing Olympics or less entries and then the short program cut-off will only send a few skaters home. And the reset on the World Records and Personal Bests not happening? Okay..

I still think at some point in this first half of the season, they will reverse course.

 

[kwanfan1818]

 

[Private Citizen]

I'm with tony. I've learned with the ISU never to attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence .

 

[Theatregirl1122]

It requires far too much mental strain for me to imagine that the ISU had a coherent plan here. I’m also on the team that believes that they just didn’t give this any thought.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

“The ISU has reviewed scoring under the revised International Judging System and has determined that, at this stage, there is insufficient basis to reset the existing World Records.

The ISU will continue to monitor results throughout the season and will review the situation should further evidence indicate that a reset may be justified.”

Hmmm...

When the ISU is raising the minimums this season without actively stating that they're raising them.

 

[Vagabond]

There's an intern at the ISU who lurks here.

 

[Karen-W]

Not changing the minimums, especially in men and pairs (but across all disciplines) is a joke. No one ran any numbers, or maybe they really think all these substitute elements are going to keep the scores up. They won’t.

The Skating Session by Tony Wheeler on Instagram: "Bookmark this post for later in the season when the ISU uses their math skills."

5 likes, 1 comments - theskatingsession on August 24, 2026: "Bookmark this post for later in the season when the ISU uses their math skills.".

www.instagram.com

Anyways, fully expect the ISU to backpedal the numbers somewhere in the middle of the season.

I got to thinking about this earlier today, after CS Kinoshita wrapped up and I disagree that it's wrong for the ISU to not reduce the CTES mins based on the significant FS requirements made for this season.

I understand where you & others are coming from - that the higher CTES mins are going to be harder to achieve for skaters this season - and that's true - but the vast majority of skaters competing have CTES scores posted from last season since CTES scores are good for 2 full years. There are not many skaters who will be affected by the ISU keeping the CTES mins at the level they were last season. The skaters who missed making the CTES mins for Worlds or Euros/4CCs missed by a wide mark and wouldn't have earned them even with a decreased CTES to account for one less jumping pass or pairs lift in the FS - Kazanecki, Vaclavik, Youn, Moss/Galbavy, Davison/Borisov.

Perhaps an argument could be made in ice dance for Pasechnik/Cirisano and Tali/Lafornara who just missed the Worlds CTES mins by less than 3 points; and for Mironova/Ustenko who missed the Euros CTES min by less than 4 points; but all three of those teams are from countries who have 1) other teams who do have the Worlds CTES mins, and 2) only have 1 entry at Worlds this year in ice dance.

I haven't looked at what the impact may be for the juniors, but the CTES mins for juniors are already quite low because the ISU treats the juniors as developmental & recognizes the experience of competing at an ISU Championship is a part of that development experience. Holding the senior level skaters to a higher standard is fair & correct.

Now, next season, we'll have a full season's worth of scores & data under the new FS requirements & revised scale of values, plus the CTES scores from 2025-26 will drop away the deeper into the season we get. At that point, next summer, it will be appropriate for the ISU to, in all likelihood, revise the CTES mins downward.