A 15-year-old girl in tears at the edge of the ice and scolded by her coach, after breaking under the pressure. Images of Kamila Valieva, 4th in the Beijing Olympics in figure skating, went around the world on Thursday. If the measure that the International Skating Federation (ISU) will propose was already in force, the young student of the very tough Eteri Tutberidze could not have participated in these Games, marked by her positive control for a prohibited substance.
A measure to raise the minimum age to compete in seniors from 15 to 17 must indeed be submitted to the ISU congress, scheduled for June 6-10 in Phuket, Thailand. Even if it is not directly linked to the Valieva affair, plunged into turmoil in the midst of the Beijing Games, the measure necessarily has a particular resonance in this context.
A two-thirds majority required
“The detailed proposal will be published on April 30. To be adopted, a majority of two thirds of the members of the ISU is required”, specifies the ISU. The ISU Council, made up of 13 members whose president, the Dutchman Jan Dijkema, is the governing body of the international federation.