ISU Congress 2026: Agenda and candidates

[Andrea82]

Agenda by day: https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.az...-ISU-Congress-2026-Agenda-1778506624-7812.pdf

President: Jae Youl KIM (KOR) unopposed

Vice-President - Figure Skating:

• Fabio BIANCHETTI (ITA)
• György ELEK (HUN)
• Benoit LAVOIE (CAN) * Incumbent
• Ubavka NOVAKOVIC-KUTINOU (GRE & BIH)

Council Member – Figure Skating
* 5 to be elected

• Fabio BIANCHETTI (ITA)
• Robin COUSINS (GBR)
• György ELEK (HUN) *Incumbent
• Benoit LAVOIE (CAN)
• Tina LUNDGREN (USA)
• Susan LYNCH (AUS)
• Tatsuro MATSUMURA (JPN) * Incumbent
• David MOLINA (FRA)
• Susanna RAHKAMO (FIN) * Incumbent
• Jimmy STRYHN MEYER (LUX)
• Oleksandr VOLKOV (UKR)

Not standing again: Patricia St Peter (USA), Maria Teresa Samaranch (Spain)

Technical Committee – Single and Pair Figure Skating

Chairperson: Leena LAAKSONEN (FIN) unopposed.
Incumbent Bianchetti not standing again

Members:
* 4 to be elected

• Julia ANDREEVA (RUS)
• Leah BATES (AUS)
• Daniel DELFA (ESP)
• Cornel GHEORGHE (ROU)
• Feng HUANG (CHN)
• Kerstin KIMMINUS (GER)
• Leena LAAKSONEN (FIN) * Incumbent. Will withdraw as she will get the Chair
• Paolo Luigi PIZZOCARI (ITA)
• Albert ZAYDMAN (ISR)

Not standing again: Emily Billow (Sweden), Susan Lynch (Australia), Yukiko Okabe (Japan)

Technical Committee – Ice Dance Figure Skating

Chairperson:

• Michela CESARO (ITA)
• Shawn RETTSTATT (USA) * Incumbent.

Members:
* 3 to be elected

• Csaba BÁLINT (HUN)
• Marie BOWNESS (CAN)
• Michela CESARO (ITA)
• Marcin KOZUBEK (POL)
• David MOLINA (FRA) * Incumbent.
• Shawn RETTSTATT (USA)
• Alla SHEKHOVTSOVA (RUS)

Not standing again: Hilary Selby (Great Britain), Ingrid Charlotte Wolter (Germany)

Technical Committee – Synchronized Figure Skating

Chairperson:

• Jennifer BETTS (CAN)
• Nina BISCHOFF (SUI)
• Karin SHERR (USA)

Interim chair and current committee member Lois Long (USA) is not standing again

Members:
* 3 to be elected

• Jennifer BETTS (CAN)
• Nina BISCHOFF (SUI) * Incumbent.
• Uliana CHIRKOVA (RUS)
• Ida HELLSTRÖM (FIN)* Incumbent.
• Karin SHERR (USA)

Not standing again: Petra Tyrbo (Sweden)

Candidates for other functions (Disciplinary committee, speed skating, short track,...) here: https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.az...lection---Candidates-list-1778434936-4153.pdf

 

[overedge]

Is it usual for candidates to run for both chair and member of these committees?

 

[Andrea82]

Is it usual for candidates to run for both chair and member of these committees?

Yes. The chair position is voted first. The winner then withdraw from the other vote and the losers can stand for the "normal" membership position.

 

[Vagabond]

• Ubavka NOVAKOVIC-KUTINOU (GRE & BIH)

How does someone get to represent two member countries? This opens all sorts of career possibilities for Allison Reed if she ever retires from espionage skating.

 

[overedge]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm more familiar with processes where the committee members are elected and then they appoint their chair, so the ISU process looked unusual to me.

 

[Karen-W]

Also note that there are no separate Branch sessions this year. This is because of the new ISU Constitution which puts all of the control for technical rules changes & proposals in the hands of the Technical Committees and the ISU Exec Council.

That makes election to these committees extremely important and I really wonder how long this new ISU Constitution will last before the member feds revolt and insist on bringing back the Branch sessions to review & approve major rule changes.

 

[Andrea82]

How does someone get to represent two member countries? This opens all sorts of career possibilities for Allison Reed if she ever retires from espionage skating.

And in the updated version of the document, she is listed as Greece and Bosnia for nationality....but nominated by Cyprus Skating Federation

https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.azurefd.net/isudamcontainer/CMS/Corporate-Site/Governance/Transparency/ISU-Communications/2789-ISU-Bodies-Election---Candidates-list-UPDATED-1779180353-0556.pdf

Also, Zaydman is nominated by Figure Skating Federation Of Armenia rather than Israeli Federation.

https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.azurefd.net/isudamcontainer/CMS/Corporate-Site/Governance/Transparency/ISU-Communications/2789-ISU-Bodies-Election---Candidates-list-UPDATED-1779180353-0556.pdf

 

[Icetalavista]

Russia is currently banned but has candidates/incumbents?

 

[Karen-W]

Russia is currently banned but has candidates/incumbents?

Yes, the ISU received legal guidance back in 2022 from their Swiss lawyers that if they blocked Russia & Belarus from their right to participate in the ISU Congress they'd lose at CAS, so they've been allowed to stand candidates and vote at both of the last two ISU Congresses in 2022 & 2024.

 

[Karen-W]

RIA Novosti is reporting that the current ISU Council members have kicked the can down the road so to speak regarding the readmission of Russian & Belarusian skaters with them deferring the decision to the newly elected ISU Council members who will be meeting this weekend, on Saturday & Sunday, after the ISU Congress concludes.

ISU примет решение по допуску россиян 13-14 июня, сообщил источник

Совет Международного союза конькобежцев (ISU) примет решение по допуску спортсменов юниорского уровня из России и Белоруссии на втором в этом месяце заседании,... РИА Новости Спорт, 09.06.2026

ria.ru

On Tuesday, the organization's board met in Tenerife, Spain, ahead of the congress (June 10-12). A new board will be elected at the meeting.

"The current board has effectively shifted the decision to the new members," one of the agency's sources said. "At this stage, only the upcoming elections to the organization's governing bodies are being discussed in detail behind the scenes at the ISU and at official meetings. Everything else will be discussed immediately after the congress. The meeting of the updated ISU technical committees will be held on Saturday (June 13), and the meeting of the new board will be held on Saturday and Sunday."

 

[Andrea82]

Livestreaming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRG8y3J9P7I

 

[Andrea82]

They are developing a system with Maelstrom (who did it for Gymnastics) to rank judges. Ranking of judges will be used to appointments to ISU Championships and GP Finals.

World Championships 2028 will be in Beijing with Figure Skating, Synchro, Speed Skating and Short Track

 

[victorskid]

The ISU has a Day 1 blog: https://www.isu.org/news/isu-congress-2026-live-blog-day-1/

 

[Karen-W]

Here's a screenshot from January when the proposed new season schedule was leaked by the Russian media.

liv 🇵🇷 I 🍉 (@OliviazBored) on X

this is the new competition schedule calendar the isu is proposing for anyone confused about grand prix semi finals and the whole “extending the season” thing https://t.co/oXN6GiglxD

x.com

During the non-Olympic seasons, the GPs would be spaced out - 2 each at the end of the months of Sept, Oct & Nov; the GP Semi-Finals would be in early January; and the GPF would move to the end of January/beginning of February. The ISU expects member feds to move their National Championships to mid-February; JWC would remain the 1st week of March followed by Euros & 4CCs - possibly being held concurrently; Worlds moves to the 2nd week of April and, during odd-numbered years, WTT would be the last week of April.

The Olympic season has the GPs happening the 2nd & 3rd weeks of Sept & Oct (not sure if they plan on only having 4 GPs or potentially having 2 concurrently one of the weekends in Sept & Oct); the GP Semi-Finals would be mid-November followed by the GPF in mid-December; Euros/4CCs in mid-January (possibly concurrently); no mention of JWC (probably just an oversight & will remain the 1st week of March); and Worlds the 2nd week of April.

I don't see HOW this extended season schedule is going to work well for the very top skaters who are in demand for shows & tours.

 

[MacMadame]

I don't see HOW this extended season schedule is going to work well for the very top skaters who are in demand for shows & tours.

I don't see WHY they want to do this. The proposed schedule sounds messy. And not particularly logical. Or workable.

I can see where the schedule needs some tweaking. But not these wholesale changes.

 

[Lanie]

That is completely nonsensical, which is why it probably will end up passing because obviously sensible choices are out

How on earth would this work in reality?!

 

[fan]

I always have the feeling that the isu likes neither us fans nor it’s skaters…

 

[Rhumba d’Amour]

I always have the feeling that the isu likes neither us fans nor it’s skaters…

I wonder if they think that this new combined Worlds format will help figure skating, by bringing new audiences to the sport?
If that’s not the motive, I’ve got nothing

 

[Vagabond]

I am waiting for the ISU to develop a Team Combined Skating event involving short- and long-track speed skating and figure skating. It would be every bit as sensible as any of the ISU's other recent bold moves.

 

[skatfan]

I don't see HOW this extended season schedule is going to work well for the very top skaters who are in demand for shows & tours.

It increases the training costs by extending the season, decreases the touring option for the most popular skaters, and decreases downtime/learning new elements in the summer. I hope this fails.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I am waiting for the ISU to develop a Team Combined Skating event involving short- and long-track speed skating and figure skating. It would be every bit as sensible as any of the ISU's other recent bold moves.

Just have the short track and figure skaters on the ice at the same time. It would literally be a "bloodbath" (which seems to be the latest description of any competition these days)

 

[kwanfan1818]

That was adjacent to what one of the Cirque/Cirque-like ice shows did: there were ramps where I think I remember snowboard-esque like moves on ramps to the ice, with figure skaters doing their thing on the same ice.

Of course, I could be mis-remembering the whole thing

 

[Aussie Willy]

Personally I have no problem with holding the various World Championships in the same place at the same time. During a time when the cost of hosting events is increasing, it would make economic sense to do it in terms of rink use, accommodation, officials, volunteers, technology, broadcasting, etc. And the crossover publicity for all the disciplines I think is a positive thing.

Not sure about long track because of required facilities. It would limit who could host it.

 

[my little pony]

Just have the short track and figure skaters on the ice at the same time. It would literally be a "bloodbath" (which seems to be the latest description of any competition these days)

the speed skaters are going around in a circle, wasting all that middle space. let the figure skaters use that. so efficient!

 

[Aussie Willy]

the speed skaters are going around in a circle, wasting all that middle space. let the figure skaters use that. so efficient!

Hey it would just be like a public rink session. Most should be right at home. They can only go anti-clockwise except for half an hour when they turn the direction the other way.

Also get extra GOE for every speed skater they take out.

 

[Coco]

Merge disciplines...either give speedskaters style points or have all 6 figure skaters do their program at the same time. Officials will draw music from a hat.

 

[Andrea82]

Microphones not working well

Anyway, they need a 4th candidate (figure skating) for the Disciplinary Commission as they have 3 candidates (2 Speed and 1 Figure) for 4 spots (2 Speed and 2 Figure).
Write to them by the end of the day!

 

[Karen-W]

Evan Bates has been elected as Chair of the Athletes Commission and will serve on the ISU Executive Council.

Anything GOEs (@AnythingGOE) on X

Announcing that Evan Bates will be the new AC Chair (and therefore representative on the Council) #ISUCongress26

x.com

 

[Andrea82]

Evan Bates has been elected as Chair of the Athletes Commission and will serve on the ISU Executive Council.

Anything GOEs (@AnythingGOE) on X

Announcing that Evan Bates will be the new AC Chair (and therefore representative on the Council) #ISUCongress26

x.com

"Evan, would you like to stand up and say hello to the room?"

 

[Belsornia]

The ISU has a Day 1 blog: https://www.isu.org/news/isu-congress-2026-live-blog-day-1/

I’m curious about the point on doubling prize money pot for the next Olympic cycle. Will this mean more money for the top skaters or money for more skaters? (Hopefully the latter.)