ISU Congress 2026: Agenda and candidates

[Karen-W]

Audit, Risk & Investment Committee Members - candidates were elected by acclamation
Margaret Blunden AUS
Michael Foley SUI/IRL
Warren Joseph Naphtal USA/MEX

Disciplinary Commission
Chair - Susan Petricevic - elected by acclamation as the only candidate
Members - Keith King USA, Eugen Larasser GER & Shannon Sibold CAN - nominated prior to the Congress, they were elected by acclamation
4th position - Jimmy Stryhn Meyer LUX - was nominated yesterday & must pass the eligibility review before being formally seated on the DC

Skating Integrity Unit - elected by acclamation
Chair - Joyce Cook GBR
Members - Herman de Haan NED & Jill Pilgrim USA/GBR

 

[tony]

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Michela Cesaro ousts Rettstatt easily

But now I won't be able to make Rettstatt jokes

 

[Karen-W]

But now I won't be able to make Rettstatt jokes

Don't worry. If GuigFab decide to stick around & they suddenly rise up again in the standings & start winning because of the ID scale of values being tweaked to their benefit, the jokes about her will write themselves.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

But now I won't be able to make Rettstatt jokes

I'm sure we can still make them. Just because he isn't on the committee doesn't mean he cannot still have A Vision

 

[marbri]

I'm sure we can still make them. Just because he isn't on the committee doesn't mean he cannot still have A Vision

Or be assigned to events as a judge and/or member of TP to continue doing what he does

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Any rumblings when the GP rosters will be announced?

 

[Karen-W]

Any rumblings when the GP rosters will be announced?

Skate Canada has dropped hints on their social media both of the last two days that GP assignments are coming soon.

Two years ago, the ISU released them on the Sunday after the ISU Congress concluded, so I'm betting on this weekend.

 

[victorskid]

The ISU Day 3 blog (with link to live stream): https://www.isu.org/news/isu-congress-2026-live-blog-day-3/

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Skate Canada has dropped hints on their social media both of the last two days that GP assignments are coming soon.

Two years ago, the ISU released them on the Sunday after the ISU Congress concluded, so I'm betting on this weekend.

So I need to set my Sunday alarm earlier so I’ll have time to fully process the rosters before taking my mom on her weekly Walmart trip.

 

[Marta24]

I didn't think that the ISU members had it in them to kick out both Rettstatt and Molina. I'm curious to see what kind of direction the new IDTC will take this discipline.

 

[angi]

Marie Bowness CAN 82
Csaba Balint HUN 78
Marcin Kozubek POL 76
David Molina FRA (incumbent) 69
Shawn Rettstatt USA (former Chair) 43 - eliminated

There's something so satisfying in seeing people actually getting booted from their positions for being incompetent and doing a really bad job. If only this would apply to more areas in our lives LOL.

 

[Vagabond]

According to , Shawn Rettstatt and David Molina will be skating to Time to Say Goodbye at the Gala.

 

[Andrea82]

Don't worry. If GuigFab decide to stick around & they suddenly rise up again in the standings & start winning because of the ID scale of values being tweaked to their benefit, the jokes about her will write themselves.

It is no coincidence that Portesi Peroni announced a come back on the week of Michela Cesaro being elected as new IDTC Chair!
(the IDTC once investigated Cesaro for bias in scoring Portesi Peroni/Chrastecky vs Terreaux/Perron at Junior Worlds)

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

According to , Shawn Rettstatt and David Molina will be skating to Time to Say Goodbye at the Gala.

Make them do a compulsory pattern to it and I'd pay to watch.

 

[Icetalavista]

So Russian skaters can’t compete in ISU competitions but Russians can serve in ISU leadership?

 

[her grace]

According to , Shawn Rettstatt and David Molina will be skating to Time to Say Goodbye at the Gala.

No, it must be something upbeat! With slides and entertaining board grabs. Push-ups on ice optional.

 

[Karen-W]

So Russian skaters can’t compete in ISU competitions but Russians can serve in ISU leadership?

Yes. This is not a new development. The ISU consulted with their legal counsel in 2022 and were advised that they could not prevent Russia & Belarus from exercising their rights as Members to participate in the Congress and that they'd likely lose if they tried & the RUS & BLR feds took the case to CAS.

I wouldn't read much into Kibalko's continued service on the ISU Exec Council. The rest of the Russian & Belarusian candidates for various offices & committees were soundly defeated. My expectation is that the new ISU EC will move as slowly as the previous ISU EC with respect to returning RUS & BLR skaters to competition.

 

[dancefan17]

Although I have not closely followed previous Congress meetings, I am impressed with the direction, thinking and decisions made so far at this meeting. Also appreciate the communications and insights around the decisions. I know there is still a lot to be worked out, and really hope they continue to listen to athlete perspectives as things are finalized.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I know they said the extended schedule discussion is being postponed, but is there any indication of who is pushing for this or if it's likely to pass?

 

[Karen-W]

I know they said the extended schedule discussion is being postponed, but is there any indication of who is pushing for this or if it's likely to pass?

After listening to Jackie Wong's interview with Jae Youl Kim, it seems that part of the drive to extend the season schedule into April was due to TV partners. Basically, the ISU wants their events in primetime & broadcasters were telling them that there are too many other winter sports wrapping up their seasons at the end of March that get priority for primetime (I question the veracity of this), so the ISU figured if they moved Worlds to April then there would be less competition for primetime scheduling.

They've gotten a lot of pushback from member feds, from all reports, on extending the season much further than where it's currently at. Seems like the GPs will likely start 2 weeks earlier (1st weekend of October) to allow for the addition of the GP Semi-Finals, but no information has been leaked about when the GPSemis & GPF will be held in the revised season schedule as they continue to discuss it.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I haven’t seen anything to suggest that they’re planning to expand regular GP’s beyond two warm-up groups, so the semi-final/final thing seems a bit lame, especially as it’s so hard for many really good non-host Fed skaters to get two and even try to qualify, and adding more than a few, at most, of “too bad they were in harder fields” just means more of those lucky enough to have a host Fed or get two will be at the bottom of the semis vs. the less lucky and connected. We already have enough GPF competitors who are great skaters, but who end up in a distant last. Made for Japanese and Russian (within two years of reinstatement, including hosting) TV, the only media filling the ISU’s coffers these days? It will put a few extra net dollars in some pockets, while for others, they’ll be lucky to break even, although all of the finalists might be able to offset a net negative at Finals with prize money high enough from qualifying in semis, depending on the scale.

Starting in early October should be better for the weather, though.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I hope Skate America would not be one of the early October GP events. Another freaking quarter end close to deal with.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I don't get the point of GP semifinals either tbh

 

[Karen-W]

I actually like the idea of a GP Semifinals. How many times have we bemoaned the fact that a skater or team wound up in a very deep field at their GPs and missed making the GPF while a different skater or team had an easier path? Adding a Semifinal round gives those skaters another chance at making the GPF and I like that.

 

[peibeck]

So I need to set my Sunday alarm earlier so I’ll have time to fully process the rosters before taking my mom on her weekly Walmart trip.

Between all the TBAs and assigned skaters who eventually withdraw due to illness or injury, I have little faith in initial rosters.

 

[MacMadame]

Between all the TBAs and assigned skaters who eventually withdraw due to illness or injury, I have little faith in initial rosters.

I don't even look at them until a week before each event and sometimes not even then.

But now I won't be able to make Rettstatt jokes

We can joke about what would have happened if he was involved. Hee.

 

[barbk]

I'm glad to see such turnover on the Ice Dance front. I guess the ISU delegates didn't much like the direction it went it much more than many fans did.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I actually like the idea of a GP Semifinals. How many times have we bemoaned the fact that a skater or team wound up in a very deep field at their GPs and missed making the GPF while a different skater or team had an easier path? Adding a Semifinal round gives those skaters another chance at making the GPF and I like that.

I feel like expanding GPF fields to 12 would be a way to achieve that which doesn't add a competition and travel for skaters already going to the GPF.

 

[skatfan]

I feel like expanding GPF fields to 12 would be a way to achieve that which doesn't add a competition and travel for skaters already going to the GPF.

They are already 12 for singles. Dance fields now seem small at 10 with all the competitors. Pairs is small with only 8, but the discipline is trying to rebuild.