International Skating Union |
Established 1892 |
| The Official Home Of |
Speed Skating * Figure Skating * Synchronized Skating* Short Track Speed Skating |
48th ISU Congress, Quebec City, Canada June 2000 |
The 48th Ordinary Congress of the International Skating Union and related meetings concluded this week-end in Quebec City, Canada.
Since the last Congress in Stockholm, two years ago, the ISU has successfully undertaken many innovations and is currently involved in over 50 Events per season, which are divided almost equally between Figure and Speed Skating. In this light, "consolidation and implementation" was the theme of the 48th Congress.
"It is necessary for the ISU Member Federations to be active both in the debates as well as in the activities of our sport. The ISU and its Members must work together as a strong united International Federation in view of continued development of our sports", said Ottavio Cinquanta, President of the ISU, in his closing statement of the 48th ISU Congress.
Among the major decisions taken by the Congress:
1. New provisions were added to the Constitution to clarify that performance and other evaluations of ISU Officials by the Technical Committees and the Council are no longer considered disciplinary sanctions.
2. The recommendation to include at least one active skater in Member delegations at the ISU Congress was adopted in a move to encourage a closer involvement of athletes in the processes of the ISU.
3. In deference to the Rule establishing a required minimum age, Junior Skaters who medal at Junior World Figure Skating Championships but who have not reached the age of 15 before July 1st are no longer allowed to participate at the senior World Figure Skating Championships.
4. At ISU Figure Skating Competitions, competitors, officials, coaches and service personnel will be allowed to display not more than two trademarks (no larger than 30 square centimeters each) on their clothing and/or technical equipment only while in the "kiss and cry" area.
5. The ISU must approve the design of the national team uniforms worn for competitions by Speed Skaters and Short Track Speed Skaters, coaches, officials and service personnel. The quantities and sizes of the trademarks displayed on their clothing and equipment have been slightly increased, but must comply with guidelines newly defined by the ISU.
6. The ISU Congress reinforced its policy on anti doping. Any Member and/or Skater who fails to comply to out of competition anti-doping testing as well as for those Members who neglect to provide adequate facilities for in-competition testing will be sanctioned. Additionally, in order to protect the credibility of doping tests, it is now specified that Members organizing international Competitions may conduct tests provided that they have the necessary facilities to conduct regular doping tests. IOC medical requirements will be observed.
7. Appeals in all disciplinary cases decided by the Council may be taken to the ISU Appeals Commission. Other decisions of the Council in the exercise of its functions and powers are to be final subject only to the superior authority of the next ISU Congress.
8. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Lausanne, was retained by the Congress as the forum of final appeal for disciplinary sanctions involving suspension or exclusion of a person or Member from an ISU activity. The CAS was also retained as the forum for final resolution of money and other disputes that could otherwise be the subject of a lawsuit in a civil court.
Although the proposal to bring Referees and Judges under the ISU banner and to develop a new Judges Performance Evaluation System did receive support from a majority of the attending Members, the motion was not accepted as it did not obtain the required 2/3 majority of the votes. Nonetheless, a resolution to continue to develop and test a computerized Judges Performance Evaluation System was accepted by the Congress. By 31 August 2001, the Figure Skating, Ice Dance and Synchronized Skating Technical Committees will present a proposal to the Council for evaluation before it is submitted to the ISU Congress in 2002.
The system for drawing Judges for the Olympic Winter Games figure skating and ice dance competitions will be the same as for ISU Championships, meaning that each of the panels will be drawn from all the nations qualified as a result of the previous year’s World Championship.
* Amendments were accepted regarding the Interpretive Free Skating Program at Open International Competitions (open to eligible and ineligible skaters). These will now include a double/ double jump combination in the Ladies’ jump combinations in the Short Program, and more flexibility in the time duration for the Short Program and for the Interpretive Free Skating Programs (from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes). Additionally, props to be held in the hand, worn on the head or attached to the costume will be allowed in the Interpretive Free Skating.
* For the next season, senior Men may include a quadruple jump either in the jump combination or in the solo jump in the Short Program.
* The Junior Pairs categories were updated and will allow double throw jumps in the Short Program.
* It will be mandatory for prospective Judges to Trial Judge at a Seminar, held in relation to an international competition, before becoming International Competition Judges.
* For the Interpretive Dance, a maximum of 7 lifts of unlimited duration will be allowed.
* For the Free Dance, separations will be limited to 5 seconds in duration, but not limited in numbers. In addition to the circular step sequence the couples may skate a diagonal or a straight line footwork sequence.
* Vocal music will be permitted in the Free Dance and in the Original Dance as long as there is an audible melody and/or rhythmic beat.
* Of the four Compulsory Dances announced at the beginning of the season, two shall be drawn and skated at the European and Four Continent Championships and the remaining two dances will be performed at the World Championships.
* Qualifying rounds have been introduced at ISU Championships and will be used when the total number of couples entered exceeds 31. A different panel of Judges will judge each of the qualifying rounds and the top 12 Couples from each group will go on to skate the Original Dance.
* New requirements for the step sequences were introduced for the Short Program and innovative moves will be permitted in the Free Skating Program as long as they are in harmony with the music and the rest of the program.
* Probationary Referees will be required to trial referee at an international competition, under the supervision of a member from the Synchronized Skating Technical Committee, before he/she can officiate as a Referee for International Competitions.
* It is mandatory that Judges undergo an examination and trial judging prior to appointment as an ISU Championship Judge.
* Judges and Referees at the World Synchronized Skating Championships may use the Instant Video Replay (IVR).
* The "Team Pursuit" has been included as an official event at World Junior Championships.
* More emphasis will be put on the results from the World Cup competitions to determine the qualification criteria for the long distances in Olympic Winter Games.
* A new rule was accepted to create a balance between each of the pairs racing in the last distance of the all round Championships (4 distances). The rule will take into account the rank of the Skaters after three distances as well as their performance in the second long distance.
* Safety requirements specifications have been added to the rules to reinforce safety measures at ISU sanctioned competitions.
* A recommendation that a temperature limit of -20 ° obliges the Referee to consider the postponement of the competition was added to the rules.
* The programming of Men’s distances at the World Single Distance Championships has been changed so that each of the distances 500m, 1000m and 1500m will be skated on separate days.
* Single distance Championship titles will be included in next season’s World Short Track Speed Skating Championship.
* Amendments including a new makeup of races were approved to avoid team skating.
* A new format was introduced for the World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships. The event will be increased from one to two days during which 4 team competitions will take place. On the first day of the competition, a qualifying session will be held and the final team competition will be skated on the second day.
* A relay event for Men and Ladies will be introduced as an exhibition at the World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships.
* It is now mandatory for Skaters to wear neck protection at ISU Events. This decision further emphasizes the ISU’s commitment to the safety of its athletes.
First time Congress participants included Iceland, ISU’s most recent Member. Designated athletes’ representatives also attended their first ISU Congress and made valuable suggestions as part of the deliberations involving their respective disciplines. D.P.R. Korea delegates were also in attendance since their last participation at the 1992 ISU Congress.
* At the closing of the 48th ISU Congress, Ottavio Cinquanta, President of the ISU and Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), presented Mr. David Dore, Director General of the Canadian Figure Skating Federation (Skate Canada) with the award of the Olympic Order in merit of Mr. Dore’s dedication to the Olympic movement and ideal.
The ISU Council provisionally allotted its Championships for 2003, and for the 2002 Championships not yet allotted, at its meeting following the ISU Congress in Quebec.
Figure Skating/Ice Dancing 2002 Four Continents Seoul - Republic of Korea 2003 Europeans Malmö - Sweden World Junior Ostrava - Czech Republic Worlds Washington D.C. - USA Four Continents Not yet allotted Synchronized Skating 2002 Worlds Not yet allotted 2003 Worlds Not yet allotted Speed Skating 2003 Europeans Heerenveen - Netherlands World Sprint Calgary - Canada World Allround Gothenburg - Sweden World Junior Kushiro City - Japan World Single Distances Berlin - Germany Short Track Speed Skating 2002 Europeans Albertville - France World Team Milwaukee - USA Worlds Montreal - Canada 2003 Europeans St. Petersburg- Russia Worlds Not yet allotted World Team Not yet allotted World Junior Not yet allotted A fully updated Event Calendar including all dates of the Championships will be available shortly on the ISU website ww2.isu.org. For further information please contact: Aline Bussat, ISU Media/ Communications Coordinator Tel.: +41 21 612 66 66 Fax: +41 21 612 66 77