ISU Congress & elections 2022

[allezfred]

Jae-Youl Kim nominated for President by Korean Skating Union.

S. Korean sports administrator Kim Jae-youl to run for top int'l skating position | Yonhap News Agency

By Yoo Jee-ho SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jae-youl, a veteran sports administrator a...

en.yna.co.kr

 

[clairecloutier]

Jae-Youl Kim nominated for President by Korean Skating Union.

S. Korean sports administrator Kim Jae-youl to run for top int'l skating position | Yonhap News Agency

By Yoo Jee-ho SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jae-youl, a veteran sports administrator a...

en.yna.co.kr

Kim is a current member of the ISU Council but on the speed skating side, not figure skating.



So I have kind of gotten the vague impression that people on the figure skating side of the ISU don't so often run for President because they don't want to have to manage the speed skating side. Anyone in the know have thoughts on this? Am I incorrect in this guess??

Surprised that this is the first candidate we are seeing for President. The Congress is only about a month and a half away now.

 

[Dub16]

So I have kind of gotten the vague impression that people on the figure skating side of the ISU don't so often run for President because they don't want to have to manage the speed skating side. Anyone in the know have thoughts on this? Am I incorrect in this guess??

Two candidates from figure skating side ran last time - Didier Gailhaguet (corrupt) and Christopher Buchanan (arrogant). You can see why even a lot of people on the figure skating side voted for a speed skater when that is the caliber of figure candidates put forward.

Rumour is that there could be at least three other candidates, one of whom is likely to be Patricia Saint Peter.

 

[MacMadame]

There seems to be more money on the Speed Skating side. Since money is power, that might be at least part of why so many Presidents come from the Speed Skating side.

 

[nylynnr]

So I have kind of gotten the vague impression that people on the figure skating side of the ISU don't so often run for President because they don't want to have to manage the speed skating side. Anyone in the know have thoughts on this? Am I incorrect in this guess??

Surprised that this is the first candidate we are seeing for President. The Congress is only about a month and a half away now.

I have heard talk of four possible candidates for ISU President from the figure skating side, three of them women.

 

[allezfred]

There seems to be more money on the Speed Skating side. Since money is power, that might be at least part of why so many Presidents come from the Speed Skating side.

Don’t think it has anything to do with money. Maybe the speed skaters are just actually better at politics?

 

[MacMadame]

Don’t think it has anything to do with money. Maybe the speed skaters are just actually better at politics?

Could be. I think it's probably a number of factors.

 

[Sylvia]

ISU press release during Worlds dated Friday, March 25, 2022 - ISU Athletes Commission members elected Eric Radford (CAN) Single & Pair Skating & Evan Bates (USA) Ice Dance: https://isu.org/isu-news/news/80-in...ing-evan-bates-usa-ice-dance?templateParam=15

Evan Bates was elected by the Ice Dance athletes competing at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022 in Montpellier, France. The vote was done online in order to minimize contacts and be Covid-19 safe during the Championships.

Ice Dance results:

Total number of votes: 34

Number of votes for Evan Bates (USA): 32
Number of votes for Yuri Hulitski (BLR): 2

Eric Radford was the only candidate for the Single & Pair Skating representative and is confirmed as the Athletes Commission member.

 

[Vagabond]

I wonder what countries supplied the two votes for the Belarusian dude.

 

[Sylvia]

U.S. Figure Skating’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved the nomination of International Skating Union (ISU) Council member and U.S. Figure Skating President (2009-14), Patricia St. Peter, to be a candidate for ISU President at the upcoming ISU Congress, June 6-10, in Phuket, Thailand.

U.S. Figure Skating Unanimously Nominates Patricia St. Peter as Candidate for ISU President | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

 

[Andrea82]

I wonder what countries supplied the two votes for the Belarusian dude.

The electors were the ice dancers present in Montpellier. So both votes could have come from same country if two partners of the same couple voted for Hulitski.

 

[Andrea82]

Full list of candidates

https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/28257-candidates-isu-office-2022/file

Susanna Rahkamo and Slobodan Delic are also running for Presidency.
Lakernik is trying to run again hoping the proposal about age limit is passed. Lavoie, Matsamura and Rahkamo are challenging him.

Bianchetti is unopposed for the Single & Pair committee chair.

 

[drfj]

Full list of candidates

https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/28257-candidates-isu-office-2022/file

Susanna Rahkamo and Slobodan Delic are also running for Presidency.
Lakernik is trying to run again hoping the proposal about age limit is passed. Lavoie, Matsamura and Rahkamo are challenging him.

Bianchetti is unopposed for the Single & Pair committee chair.

I think that the president will be the USA lady

 

[Aussie Willy]

Full list of candidates

https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/28257-candidates-isu-office-2022/file

Susanna Rahkamo and Slobodan Delic are also running for Presidency.
Lakernik is trying to run again hoping the proposal about age limit is passed. Lavoie, Matsamura and Rahkamo are challenging him.

Bianchetti is unopposed for the Single & Pair committee chair.

If Rahkamo won she could do a Finnstep across the stage.

At least there are a few nominations which is good to see.

 

[Andrea82]

Congress agenda and proposals published

https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/28303-isu-communication-2472/file

 

[clairecloutier]

Relevant on the official Congress agenda:

p. 9 The "Alexander Lakernik" proposal to raise the age limit for elected ISU officeholders is still on the agenda (p. 9). However, the ISU Council notes its official opposition to this proposal.

p. 17 The official ISU Council proposal to raise the age minimum for seniors to 17 starts on p. 17 of the document (coincidentally) and includes a fairly lengthy rationale for this proposal, including an excerpted report from the ISU Medical Commission. This is worth a read. Also, the document includes a link to the results of an ISU survey of active skaters/coaches, which showed 86.2% support for raising the age minimum (https://isu.org/docman-documents-li...sion-survey-on-figure-skating-age-limits/file).

Other points of some interest:

p. 26 Hungary proposes the addition of two major ISU junior championships: European Junior Championships and Four Continents Junior Championships. The ISU Council opposes this proposal, on the grounds of additional expense and that relatively few junior athletes would qualify. It notes specifically: "Furthermore, it is already a challenge to find a sufficient number of organizing ISU Members for the current ISU Figure Skating Championships."

p. 68 A long section about how qualifying rounds being reintroduced at Worlds will affect the scheduling, number of entries, and so on.


I believe there is also a proposal to raise the age limit for international judges to 65 (?), and there are probably other things I missed, but this is what caught my eye on first scanning the document.

 

[Vagabond]

Lower the minimum age to be a judge to 17, raise the minimum age to skate Seniors to 65!

 

[Debbie S]

I wonder if they did the survey on raising the age min before or after the Olys.

 

[clairecloutier]

I wonder if they did the survey on raising the age min before or after the Olys.

It was before the Olympics. Date on document is Jan 13 2021.

One would imagine that support would only have increased since Beijing.

 

[allezfred]

One would imagine that support would only have increased since Beijing.

We can call it the Valieva you’re exempt from drug bans if you are under 16 rule.

 

[Karen-W]

Interestingly, Norway is proposing to raise the age minimum to 17 immediately next season (Proposal 23).

Canada is proposing raising the junior age maximum for women in Pairs and Ice Dancing (Proposal 25). I think this makes good sense, especially if the senior minimum is being raised to 17 for all disciplines. The ISU Council isn't in favor - seems like they want some additional time for their Medical Commission and Technical Committees to evaluate and make adjustments for juniors.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The ISU wants to make the Olympic Qualifying Competition subject to a bid process, not combined with an existing international event, citing logistics and further blah, yadda (#11).

The Council is opposed to Norway's proposal to raise the minimum age to 17 right away (#23).

Canada proposed raising the minimum age for Women in Jr. Pairs and Dance to 21, like the Men (#25).

Hungary proposed new age limits for kids through Advanced Novice (#26).

Russia proposed that participating in National championships should be included in the reasons to require a release. The ISU is opposed, arguing that Nationals are the responsibility of the Feds, and the ISU doesn't have authority over them. (#27). Which would make an interesting CAS case, were it to pass.

New Zealand proposed new factoring for PCS that is recalculated each year, and their proposal, with charts ( ) and numbers, would bring Women and Pairs closer to Men's factoring, but nowhere close to equal, plus it proposes different factors for Senior and Junior competitions. (#157).

There are a couple of references to redefining and eliminating the factoring penalty for jump combinations:

208. SINGLE & PAIR SKATING TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Rule 610 Amend as follows and keep all the other parts of the rule Jump Sequences

A jump sequence consists of two or three jumps of any number of revolutions, in which the second and/or the third jump is an Axel type jump with a direct step from the landing curve of the first/second jump in to the takeoff curve of the Axel jump. One full revolution on the ice between the jumps (free foot can touch the ice, but without weight transfer) keeps the element in the frame of the definition of a jump sequence. Jumps executed in a jump sequence receive their full value.

Reason: With the new definition of the Jump Sequence introduced in 2018 there is no reason to have a lesser value for Jump Sequences than for Jump Combinations. This allow more variety in the execution of the jumps.

210. SINGLE & PAIR SKATING TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Rule 611 paragraph 4: Amend last subparagraph as follows

Step Sequences Step sequences may include any unlisted jumps. Unlisted jumps (any number of revolutions) and listed jumps (with maximum one revolution) may be included in the step sequence without any penalties. Listed jumps of not more than one revolution included in the sequence will not be called and will no occupy a box.

Reason: Allow to have more freedom in the step sequence.

155. SINGLE & PAIR SKATING TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Rule 353, paragraph 1. h) Modify as follows:

i) Jump combinations and Jump Sequences are evaluated as one unit by adding the Base Values of the jumps included and applying the GOE with the numerical value of the most difficult jump. ii) Jump sequences are evaluated as one unit by adding the Base Values of the two jumps, multiplying the result by 0.8 and applying the GOE of the jump with the higher numerical value. The factored Base Value of the jump sequence will be rounded to two decimal places. Renumber iii) and iv) accordingly.

Reason: With the new definition of the Jump Sequence introduced in 2018 there is no reason to have a lesser value for Jump Sequences than for Jump Combinations.

 

[soogar]

Don’t think it has anything to do with money. Maybe the speed skaters are just actually better at politics?

Or maybe there are way more speed skaters. There is short track and regular speed skating. Plus it seems like there are a lot more age level/masters competitions as well as adult track comps as well. Figure skating is relatively small in terms of organization than speed skating.

Not so happy with a Korean Skating Union official running for ISU president. There is a lot of corruption in short track skating over there. That was one of the reasons that Korean short track racer started representing Russia- I believe Ahn. A friend of mine who is from there says that it is very political who gets chosen to race short track. Also on the figure skating side, there are endless domestic competitions. It seems like they are always competing in Korea. They may not have the number of figure skaters to manipulate like short track, but it's not good.

 

[Andrea82]

I believe there is also a proposal to raise the age limit for international judges to 65 (?), and there are probably other things I missed, but this is what caught my eye on first scanning the document.

I think it is Norway's proposal.
They want that judges being promoted from International to ISU status shouldn't be older than 65 (now they can be promoted even if they are 1 year from retirement which is at 70).
Then they wanted judges becoming international referees to be younger 60 (now it is 70). And younger than 65 to become ISU referee. They propose same thing (60-65) for international and ISU technical controllers and specialists.
They would keep at 50 the maximum age to become international judge.

Their reasons is that since ISU invested in the education of these officials, they should serve at least 5 or 10 years since they pass the examination.

 

[raruki]

I am very curious about the new proposal for the Jump sequences rules. It seems that you can jump more than 1 double axle in a 3-jumps sequence. I wonder whether it could be good news for the pairs skater since there are no limitations for the pairs skaters to do the 3 the same types of doubles in a combo (like James/Cipres did in FS in WC in 2019). If the new proposal is approved, can the pairs skaters jump something like 2A+2A+2A or Triple jump with 2 double axles in a program？

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Is reinstituting qualifying rounds a proposal or is it guaranteed to happen?

 

[clairecloutier]

Is reinstituting qualifying rounds a proposal or is it guaranteed to happen?

It appears that the reinstitution of qualifying rounds has already been decided on. The proposals before the Congress seem to spell out details of how the decision will be implemented, not whether it will actually happen. (For more, read the "Reason" section starting on p 71 of the document: https://isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/28303-isu-communication-2472/file.)

From the document, it sounds to me like the new Qualifying Round process at Worlds will be different than the old process used in the early 2000s. If I'm parsing it correctly, it sounds like the new Qualifying Rounds may involve not all of the skaters, but only the skaters who didn't earn "Direct Entries" to Worlds. I think that skaters who earned "Direct Entries" (based on previous year's Worlds) will skip Qualifying and go straight to the Championship Round. (If anyone is in the know and thinks I have this wrong, please say so.)

Further, because of the introduction of the Qualifying Rounds at Worlds, official practice time at Worlds will be reduced by from 2 days to 1 day. And, from p 68: "For consistency among all ISU Figure Skating Championships, starting with the season 2024/25, such reduction of practice time shall apply to all ISU Figure Skating Championships." (This last proviso makes me personally not thrilled, as attending practices is one of my favorite parts of going to live events. And can also provide useful insights and interview opportunities for journalists. I can understand the reduction of practice time at Worlds, but don't like carrying it over to other championships for no particular reason, although of course, there would be cost savings from this.)

 

[Karen-W]

Is reinstituting qualifying rounds a proposal or is it guaranteed to happen?

It's a proposal, so it's not guaranteed to happen, obviously. Gist of the proposal is as follows:

Direct Entries to the SP/RD - 24 men/women, 16 pairs, 20 ice dance teams. All the countries that earned 2 or 3 spots go straight through to the SP and the remaining 24/16/20 spots in the SP/RD are assigned based on based on highest placement. If more than 24/16/20 Direct Entries are earned by countries that earn 2 or 3 spots automatically, then they're all qualified and the number of SP/RD entries available through the QR is reduced accordingly. So, a scenario like the 2018 Olympics where the US lost out on their 2nd pairs spot would not occur.

An additional 12 men/women, 8 pairs, and 10 ice dance SP/RD spots are earned through the Qualifying Round. If there are less than 36 men/women, 24 pairs or 30 ice dance entries for the entire competition then no QR for said discipline. Also, if there are only 37-38 men/women, 25-26 pairs, or 31-32 ice dance then the host country can eliminate the QR for a discipline and advance all skaters/teams to the SP/RD.

Additionally - the proposal also limits the maximum number of entries to the QR - 30 for men/women, 16 for pairs, and 20 for ice dance. The verbiage here seems rather restrictive and I suspect it's going to be debated by the Figure Skating Branch members.

ISU Members who do not have a Direct Entry in the Championship Round Short Program /Rhythm Dance may enter one Competitor per discipline (Men, Ladies, Pair Skating, Ice Dance), provided that the ISU Member is ranked amongst the top 30 ISU Members in Men or Ladies, the top 16 ISU Members in Pair Skating and the top 20 ISU Members in Ice Dance on the Qualifying Round Total Technical Element Score ranking list at the time of the entry deadline.

The way I'm reading it, there's going to be a ranking list of countries for the QR Total TES (this is another change - they're proposing the elimination of separate SP/RD and FS/FD TES mins and have just one combined Total TES min starting in the 2024-25 season) and if your country isn't in the Top 30 men/women, Top 16 pairs, or Top 20 ice dance then you're not allowed a QR entry.

I think the proposed verbiage needs to be cleaned up because the way it reads right now, all countries including the ones with Direct Entries to the SP/RD are on this QR Total TES ranking list, but I think the intent is to create a QR Total TES ranking list for each discipline that doesn't include the countries with Direct Entries - otherwise, you could see a list that has Women's QR Total TES ranking list that has JPN, BEL, USA, KOR, GEO, AZE, GER, CAN, POL, AUT, EST, NED, ROU (the 13 countries who would have a Direct Entry based on this year's Worlds results) in the Top 30 and that would leave just 17 QR spots open. That might very well be the intent, but it seems kind of silly to 1) further limit the number of countries that can have any entries at Worlds and 2) add a QR just so 5 skaters can be dropped from the SP.

My best guess is that the proposed verbiage is changed so that the 30/16/20 highest ranking countries on the QR Total TES ranking list without a direct entry to the SP/RD are allowed to have a QR entry in said discipline and if a country/countries do not send an entry then the next highest ranked country is allowed until the 30/16/20 QR spots have been filled or the end of the ranking list is reached.

Also, QR scores do not count for the Championship Round.

Iceland is also proposing that the Total TES scores are for the upcoming season are published before August 1st of each year - hope this passes because it sucks when the ISU changes the TES mins mid-season and skaters are left scrambling to achieve the mins, especially if they already thought they had them.

 

[clairecloutier]

Okay. So yes, I guess that the new qualifying rounds at Worlds are officially still a proposal and not guaranteed. What's a bit odd is that they don't seem to be presented, on their own, as a proposal in the document. Rather, it's all the specifics around them that are actual agenda items.

But this paragraph on p 28 explains a bit further:

This Proposal is part of a package of Council Proposals that have been worked out by a Working Group in line with the 2018 Congress decision (refer to the Minutes of the 2018 Congress – Proposal No. 79). The goal of the Proposals worked out by the Working Group is to allow the broadest possible participation in the ISU World Figure Skating Championships among ISU Figure Skating Members ensuring a good level of skating of all participants but at the same time maintaining reasonable financial conditions for the organizers and the ISU. The related Proposals are included in the section for the Special Regulations Single & Pair Skating/Ice Dance. See in particular the Proposal concerning Rule 378, and also Proposals for Rule 376, paragraph 1, and Rule 520.

In any case, with these Qualifying Round changes being proposed by the ISU Council, and in such detail, I would take that to indicate that the changes are considered fairly well approved on the upper levels and as such likely to pass.

 

[kwanfan1818]

. If I'm parsing it correctly, it sounds like the new Qualifying Rounds may involve not all of the skaters, but only the skaters who didn't earn "Direct Entries" to Worlds. I think that skaters who earned "Direct Entries" (based on previous year's Worlds) will skip Qualifying and go straight to the Championship Round. (If anyone is in the know and thinks I have this wrong, please say so.)

I read it as countries/members, like in all other championships, not the skaters themselves, who have direct entries.

Pairs are back to four groups of four (16 in total) for thr FS. I don't remember seeing a formal change -- there were 20 in 2021 -- since they upped it, and there were only 14 entries total in 2022, but I may have missed or forgotten it.

Agreed that if the Top X countries include countries with Direct Entries, it will make the QR upper limits moot. However, it is likely that the number of skaters/teams who will advance to the free will be less than the the members left -- 12 out of 17, in @Karen-W 's example for Women -- so there will be a competition, except in maybe in Pairs, hence the ability to skip if there are just 1-2 in thr QR.

They were also careful to not repeat the Olympics policy of cutting off earned multiple spots based on a fixed cut-off, since those direct spots are retained and the QR qualifying number is reduced. (Although, they could have allowed entry into the QR.) There is an unlikely scenario where the number of countries with 2-3 entries would earn 24 spots total, but that would still leave QR spots in each discipline. I haven't been able to identify a scenario with more than 24.

I guess there could be literal if they just said they'd skip the QR altogether if there weren't more than the number of entries that would move into the SP, with bargaining with members to wd/not enter their skaters and, if possible, send the to Jr. Worlds instead.

Also the "earlier" and "later" groups are eliminated for the SP/RD and each starting group is based on WS before entry, described at the end of the "Reason" section as like the Frees ordering.

I agree with Iceland, especially with the cost-cutting cut-offs in place. It's ridiculous for skaters to finance trips to international comps to attain minimums that are a moving target.