An effect of the Kamila Valieva affair? The International Skating Union (ISU) will propose at its next general assembly, scheduled for the beginning of June in Phuket (Thailand), to raise the minimum age for participating in international competitions by two years. Currently set at 15 years, it could be raised to 17 years before the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The project is on the agenda of the ISU Congress. It is accompanied by a note from the medical commission of the instance, according to which « Allowing minor athletes to participate in competitions may subject them to burdens and risks deemed inappropriate for their age. Not only physically, but also in terms of the child's psychological and social development. Junior athletes face multiple stressors on their path to pro sport" The proposal submitted to the congress provides for an increase in the minimum age in two stages. Skaters aged 16 or older as of July of the previous year will be eligible for senior competitions beginning in the 2023-24 season. The minimum age will then be set at 17 years for the 2024-25 season and subsequent seasons. To support its project, the ISU cites the results of a survey conducted among skaters, coaches and skating officials. It reveals that 86,2% of the 966 people questioned said they were in favor of raising the minimum age. Anything but a coincidence: the ISU proposal comes just a few months after the Beijing 2022 Games, where Russian Kamila Valieva (photo above), then aged 15, was at the heart of a long and complex doping case.
