ISU Statement: IOC Recommendations of March 28, 2023

The ISU Council discussed the IOC's recommendations on allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes back to competition, and have decided that the ban will remain in place for the time being. They are still exploring the feasibility of allowing RUS/BLR athletes and continuing to monitor the situation in Ukraine.

Full statement:

The International Skating Union (ISU) has supported the Skating Federations of Ukraine since the start of the war, implementing ISU Communication 2469, and also granting financial support to assist Ukrainian Skaters. The ISU reiterates its sympathy for and solidarity to all affected by the War in Ukraine. The ISU maintains its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms.

The ISU Council met on June 9-11, 2023 and discussed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations of March 28, 2023 for International Federations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions.

The ISU Council decided to explore the feasibility issues with regard to potential pathways to implement the IOC recommendations within ISU Sports.

The Council will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the ISU activity as well as the decisions and their implementation within the Olympic Movement. In the meantime, ISU Communication 2469 remains in force.

2023-24 Schedule of ISU Competitions

ISU Communication 2565

The ISU has published the schedule of international competitions for the 2023-24 season. Our calendar has also been updated with major events.

ISU Communication 2560: Ice Dance Requirements for Technical Rules Season 2023-24

The ISU has published Communication 2560: Ice Dance Requirements for Technical Rules Season 2023-24.

Summary of notable changes:

Rhythm Dance:

• Theme (senior and junior): Music from the 1980s (must be originally released in that decade)

• Junior Pattern Dance: Two sequences of Rocker Foxtrot in any order, can be skated one after the other or separately. In the first sequence, the man skates the man’s steps and the woman skates the woman’s steps. In the second sequence, the woman skates the man’s steps and the man skates the woman’s steps.

• Senior Choreographic Rhythm Sequence: Silver Samba, steps #9, 9a, 9b to #47. Woman’s/man’s steps may be performed by either one partner or both partners, “provided there is continuity of prescribed steps always performed by at least 1 partner”. Tempo at least 100 beats/min, no restriction in number of beats per step. Partners must be in contact, but any holds are permitted. (Note: This element is still evaluated as a choreographic element, not a pattern dance with levels.)

Free Dance:

• Choreographic Hydroblading Movement added as a new option for choreographic elements. Both partners would perform the hydroblading movement at the same time. If any part of the body besides the boot of the free leg touches the ice, the element may be considered a Choreographic Sliding Movement instead.

• Choreographic Character Step Sequence: Skaters may now perform this sequence in various patterns instead of only along the short axis of the rink. The pattern for the ChSt must be different from the pattern of the other step sequence in the free dance.

  • Diagonal (corner to corner)

  • Long axis

  • Short axis

  • Circular (starting and ending at the long barrier at the short axis)

ISU Communication 2558: Singles & Pairs Levels, GOE and PCS Guidelines for Season 2023-24

The ISU has published Communication 2558: Levels of Difficulty and Guidelines for Marking Grade of Execution and Program Components Season 2023/24

Summary of notable changes (underlined portions are new):

Spin Levels:

• “In Flying spins and spins in one position the difficult exit must be started from a basic position (not final windup), which must be at least reached. In spin combinations the difficult exit can be started from any position.”

• “When windmill is used as a difficult exit, it must be executed on the spinning foot.”

• Optional level 4 feature: “Both directions immediately following each other in sit, camel, Layback and difficult variation of an upright position”

Pair Lift Levels:

• “In Group 5 Reverse Lasso Lift (5RLi) when both partners skate forwards, this is considered as a difficult variation of take-off.”

Death Spiral Levels:

• “Difficult entry and/or exit is one feature and only one of them will count as a level feature. The exit must have a significant impact on the balance, control and execution of the death spiral.”

Pair Spin Levels:

• “Difficult exit – exiting in a lift or spinning movement, an innovative move that makes the exit significantly more difficult. The exit must have a significant impact on the balance, control and execution of the pair spin combination.”

• “Lifting the woman while the man is on 1 foot is a level feature when executed for at least 2 revolutions. If the woman is in a difficult position during the lift, it will be counted as a difficult variation.”

• “Pair Spin Combination can be started with a jump. Any flying entry can be considered as a feature. If one or both partners do not execute 3 revolutions before or after the change of foot, the PCoSp will be marked with a “V”. If there are less than 3 revolutions on both feet by one or both partners, the spin will have “No Value”.

GOE - Positive Aspects:

• Jumps: “effortless throughout (including rhythm in jump combo or sequence)”

• Step sequences: “Creativity of body movements including variations of free foot: This positive bullet includes creative and varied body movements and different placements of the free foot (forwards, sideways, backwards/supported or unsupported) during the step sequence.”

GOE - Negative Aspects:

• Jumps: “Poor take-off: For example a toe-assisted jump is taken off from the full blade, Toe Loop is executed like a Toe Axel or there is excessive rotation on the ice at the take-off. The reduction in GOE is -2 to -4.” (previously -1 to -3)

• Jumps: “Multiple “q” signs in jump combo/seq: -3 to -4”

• Spins: “Poor exit: -1 to -3”

• “In case of any of the following errors, the starting GOE for the evaluation cannot be higher than +2:” (added following)

  • Spins with less than required revolutions (Short Program)

  • Spins with change of foot with poor change

  • Flying Spins with poor fly

• Twists: “Poor take-off (poor speed, serious scratching, no toe-pick): -1 to -3” (previously -1 to -2)

• Death spirals: “Poor or weak position of the woman (too high/less than 1 rev in low position) or man: -1 to -3”

• Death spirals: “Woman’s or man’s weak edge quality: -2 to -3” (previously -1 to -2)

2023 World Team Trophy Entries

Entries are officially announced for the 2023 World Team Trophy (Apr. 13-16, Tokyo, Japan) Source

Team Canada:

• Stephen GOGOLEV

• Keegan MESSING

• Sara-Maude DUPUIS

• Madeline SCHIZAS

• Deanna STELLATO-DUDEK / Maxime DESCHAMPS

• Piper GILLES / Paul POIRIER

Team France:

• Kevin AYMOZ

• Adam SIAO HIM FA

• Lorine SCHILD

• Lea SERNA

• Camille KOVALEV / Pavel KOVALEV

• Evgeniia LOPAREVA / Geoffrey BRISSAUD

Team Italy:

• Daniel GRASSL

• Matteo RIZZO

• Lara Naki GUTMANN

• Anna PEZZETTA

• Sara CONTI / Niccolo MACII

• Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI

Team Japan:

• Kazuki TOMONO

• Shoma UNO

• Mai MIHARA

• Kaori SAKAMOTO

• Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA

• Kana MURAMOTO / Daisuke TAKAHASHI

Team South Korea:

• Junhwan CHA

• Sihyeong LEE

• Yelim KIM

• Haein LEE

• Hyejin CHO / Steven ADCOCK

• Hannah LIM / Ye QUAN

Team USA:

• Jason BROWN

• Ilia MALININ

• Amber GLENN

• Isabeau LEVITO

• Alexa KNIERIM / Brandon FRAZIER

• Madison CHOCK / Evan BATES 

Team USA: 2023 ISU Championships

World Championships

• Men: Ilia Malinin, Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev* (alt: Camden Pulkinen, Maxim Naumov, Jimmy Ma)

• Women: Isabeau Levito, Bradie Tennell, Amber Glenn (alt: Starr Andrews, Lindsay Thorngren, Ava Marie Ziegler)

• Pairs: Knierim/Frazier, Chan/Howe, Kam/O’Shea (alt: Smirnova/Siianytsia, Plazas/Fernandez, McBeath/Bartholomay)

• Ice Dance: Chock/Bates, Hawayek/Baker, Green/Parsons (alt: Carreira/Ponomarenko, Zingas/Kolesnik, Bratti/Somerville)

Four Continents Championships

• Men: Maxim Naumov, Jimmy Ma, Liam Kapeikis (alt: Tomoki Hiwatashi, Yaroslav Paniot, Samuel Mindra)

• Women: Isabeau Levito, Bradie Tennell, Amber Glenn (alt: Starr Andrews, Lindsay Thorngren, Gracie Gold)

• Pairs: Chan/Howe, Kam/O’Shea, Plazas/Fernandez (alt: McBeath/Bartholomay, Mokhova/Mokhov)

• Ice Dance: Chock/Bates, Green/Parsons, Carreira/Ponomarenko (alt: Zingas/Kolesnik, Bratti/Somerville, Pate/Bye)

Junior World Championships

• Men: Lucas Broussard, Daniel Martynov, Robert Yampolsky (alt: Michael Xie, Jacob Sanchez, Joseph Klein)

• Women: Josephine Lee, Soho Lee, Clare Seo (alt: Ava Ziegler, Mia Kalin, Elyce Lin-Gracey)

• Pairs: Baram/Tioumentsev, Williams/Lewer* (alt: Murray/Gillette*)

• Ice Dance: Neset/Markelov, Carhart/Horovyi, Hauer/Starr (alt: Pham/Rogers, Peal/Peal, Bland/Sperry)

*Need TES minimums

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Team Canada: 2023 ISU Championships

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Men: Keegan Messing, TBD

• Women: Madeline Schizas

• Pairs: Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps, Brooke McIntosh/Benjamin Mimar, Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud

• Ice Dance: Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier, Laurence Founier Beaudry/Nikolaj Soerensen

FOUR CONTINENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Men: Keegan Messing, Conrad Orzel, Stephen Gogolev

• Women: Madeline Schizas, Sara-Maude Dupuis, Justine Miclette

• Pairs: Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps, Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud, Kelly Ann Laurin/Loucas Ethier

• Ice Dance: Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier, Laurence Founier Beaudry/Nikolaj Soerensen, Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha

JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Men: Wesley Chiu, Aleksa Rakic, Edward Nicholas Vasii

• Women: Kaiya Ruiter

• Pairs: Chloe Panetta/Kieran Thrasher, Ava Kemp/Yohnatan Elizarov, Ashlyn Schmitz/Tristan Taylor

• Ice Dance: Nadiia Bashynska/Peter Beaumont, Sandrine Gauthier/Quentin Thieren, Hailey Yu/Brendan Giang

Source

Team Japan: 2023 ISU Championships

World Championships

• Men: Shoma Uno, Sota Yamamoto, Kazuki Tomono (alt: Shun Sato, Koshiro Shimada, Kao Miura)

• Women: Kaori Sakamoto, Mai Mihara, Rinka Watanabe (alt: Hana Yoshida, Mone Chiba, Mana Kawabe)

• Pairs: Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara

• Dance: Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi (alt: Misato Komatsubara/Tim Koleto)

Four Continents Championships

• Men: Koshiro Shimada, Shun Sato, Kao Miura (alt: Kazuki Tomono, Sota Yamamoto, Tatsuya Tsuboi)

• Women: Rinka Watanabe, Hana Yoshida, Mone Chiba (alt: Mana Kawabe, Rion Sumiyoshi, Rika Kihira)

• Pairs: Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara

• Dance: Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi, Misato Komatsubara/Tim Koleto

Junior World Championships

• Men: Nozomu Yoshioka, Kao Miura (alt: Shunsuke Nakamura, Haruya Sasaki)

• Women: Mao Shimada, Ami Nakai (alt: Mone Chiba, Hana Yoshida)

• Pairs: Haruna Murakami/Sumitada Moriguchi

• Dance: Nao Kida/Masaya Morita (alt: Sara Kishimoto/Atsuhiko Tamura)

Source

2022 Grand Prix Final Qualifiers

Men:

• Ilia Malinin (USA)

• Shoma Uno (JPN)

• Kao Miura (JPN)

• Sota Yamamoto (JPN)

• Daniel Grassl (ITA)

• Shun Sato (JPN)

• Alternates: Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA), Junhwan Cha (KOR), Kazuki Tomono (JPN)

Women:

• Mai Mihara (JPN)

• Loena Hendrickx (BEL)

• Kaori Sakamoto (JPN)

• Yelim Kim (KOR)

• Isabeau Levito (USA)

• Rinka Watanabe (JPN)

• Alternates: Rion Sumiyoshi (JPN), Young You (KOR), Haein Lee (KOR)

Pairs:

• Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN)

• Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA)

• Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps (CAN)

• Emily Chan/Spencer Akira Howe (USA)

• Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini (ITA)

• Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA)

• Alternates: Camille Kovalev/Pavel Kovalev (FRA), Brooke McIntosh/Benjamin Mimar (CAN), Anastasiia Metelkina/Daniil Parkman (GEO)

Ice Dance:

• Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN)

• Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA)

• Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Soerensen (CAN)

• Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA)

• Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (GBR)

• Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean Luc Baker (USA)

• Alternates: Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha (CAN), Caroline Green/Michael Parsons (USA), Evgeniia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud (FRA)

2022 Junior Grand Prix Finalists

Junior Men:

• Lucas Broussard (USA)

• Nikolaj Memola (ITA)

• Shunsuke Nakamura (JPN)

• Takeru Amine Kataise (JPN)

• Nozomu Yoshioka (JPN)

• Robert Yampolsky (USA)

• Alternates: Rio Nakata (JPN), Younghyun Cha (KOR), Minkyu Seo (KOR)

Junior Women:

• Mao Shimada (JPN)

• Hana Yoshida (JPN)

• Jia Shin (KOR)

• Ami Nakai (JPN)

• Chaeyeon Kim (KOR)

• Minsol Kwon (KOR)

• Alternates: Mone Chiba (JPN), Ayumi Shibayama (JPN), Inga Gurgenidze (GEO)

Junior Pairs:

• Anastasia Golubeva/Hektor Giotopoulous Moore (AUS)

• Cayla Smith/Andy Deng (USA)

• Sophia Baram/Daniel Tioumentsev (USA)

• Violetta Sierova/Ivan Khobta (UKR)

• Ava Rae Kemp/Yohnatan Elizarov (CAN)

• Chloe Panetta/Kieran Thrasher (CAN)

• Alternates: Haruna Murakami/Sumitada Moriguchi (JPN), Ashlyn Schmitz/Tristan Taylor (CAN), Oxana Vouillamoz/Flavien Giniaux (FRA)

Junior Ice Dance:

• Katerina Mrazkova/Daniel Mrazek (CZE)

• Nadiia Bashynska/Peter Beaumont (CAN)

• Hannah Lim/Ye Quan (KOR)

• Darya Grimm/Michail Savitskiy (GER)

• Phebe Bekker/James Hernandez (GBR)

• Celina Fradji/Jean-Hans Fourneaux (FRA)

• Alternates: Sandrine Gauthier/Quentin Thieren (CAN), Mariia Pinchuk/Mykyta Pogorielov (UKR), Vanessa Pham/Jonathan Rogers (USA)