No 15-year-old figure skaters will be allowed to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics following the controversy surrounding Russian national champion Kamila Valieva at this year’s Beijing Games.
A new age limit for figure skaters at senior international events was passed on Tuesday by the International Skating Union (ISU). The motion was approved with a dominant 110-16 vote that will raise the minimum age to 17 before the next Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
“This is a very important decision,” commented ISU president Jan Dijkema. “I would say a very historic decision.” The raised cut-off will be gradually phased in with 16-year-olds allowed to compete in the 2023/24 season, rising to 17 the season after, which is the last before 2026.
