Figure skating body revises age criteria after Kamila Valieva controversy

#athlete #FigureSkating #KamilaValeiva

The ISU has decided to increase the minimum age of Olympic-level skaters
The vote was held on Tuesday at a meeting in Phuket
This comes months after skater Kamila Valieva's controversy

Written By:Deeksha

Updated: June 07 2022 03:05:10 PM ET Phuket, Thailand

Following a proposal, the International Skating Union (ISU) has decided to increase the minimum age of Olympic-level skating professionals who will be competing in the sport’s major events, according to a report by People.

The vote was held on Tuesday at a meeting in Phuket, Thailand.

The proposal states that the minimum age for skaters will be raised from 15 to 17 from the next season onwards.

15-year-old athletes will still be permitted to take part in the upcoming season, however, the minimum age will be 16 the following year. It will eventually rise to 17 for the 2024-25 season, which will take place just days before the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“The ISU Council concluded that for the sake of protecting the physical and mental health, and emotional well-being of Skaters, the most urgently needed change is a gradual increase of the Senior category age limit in the Figure Skating Branch, from 15 years to 17 years,” read the proposal.

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The sports authority added that only those skaters who turn 15 before July 1 will be allowed to take part in major international events for the next season.

The move comes months after the controversy of 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who tested positive for the banned drug Trimetazidine after her team won a sporting event in February.

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Meanwhile, Rob Koehler, the director-general of Global Athlete, told CNN that although the decision is a step forward in the right direction, there is still a lot more that can be done.

“Raising the age limit cannot dissolve responsibility to ensure minors are protected,” he said.

“Young athletes will continue to train to reach their dream of competing internationally therefore a wide range of best practice protocols must be in place to protect every young child entering the sport. This has to include third-party independent reporting lines,” Koehler explained.