Youth and experience The stars of figure skating are often teenagers, but many of the sport’s officials are in their golden years. Geoff Berkeley explores the debate over age limits.
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ust shy of its 130th birthday, the International Skating Union is the oldest Olympic winter sport governing body. As they say, with age comes wisdom, but with youth comes energy and willingness to try new ideas. ISU members are set to face this age-old debate when attending its Congress in June - a meeting that could change the shape of figure skating and the future running of the International Federation. After six years in office, Jan Dijkema will step down as ISU President, citing age as one of the reasons for his decision not to stand again. “I'll be 78 this year,” said Dijkema. “That's why the successor has to be arranged.” Under the ISU’s current age rules, Dijkema would be unable to seek re-election.
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But the Dutchman said he had been encouraged to stay due to a proposal to increase the maximum age limit for office holders from 75 to 80. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are tabling the move which is set to be presented to the ISU Congress, scheduled to be held from June 6 to 10 in Phuket in Thailand. It is a decision that affects almost a third of the 13-strong ISU Council with Dijkema, vice-president Alexander Lakernik of Russia and long-serving members Marie Lundmark of Finland and Roland Maillard of Switzerland all above the age of 75. The quartet are all established and influential members, with Maillard and Lundmark serving on the Council for 11 and 20 years respectively. Now, they both look set to be replaced. Should the ISU Congress vote against the motion, it could lead to a generational shift at the organisation. Dijkema’s predecessor Ottavio Cinquanta was head of the ISU for 22 years before exiting in 2016, making the Italian the longest-serving President in the organisation’s 129-year history. Patricia St Peter of the United States, South Korea’s Kim Jae-youl, Finland’s Susanna Rahkamo and Serbia’s Slobodan Delić are now standing to become the next
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head of the International Federation. Whoever succeeds Dijkema - who first became a Council member in 1994 - will take over an International Federation that has come under increasing scrutiny following the controversy surrounding Kamila Valieva at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Valieva was just 15 when she competed in the Chinese capital but was at the centre of a huge scandal when it was confirmed that she had failed a drugs test. The Russian sensation was cleared to compete in the women’s singles event by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which argued that preventing her from skating could cause “irreparable harm”. But the teenager, who was favourite to clinch gold, left the ice in tears under the glare of the world’s media after finishing outside the medal places. The Valieva saga raised fresh questions over whether a girl of such a young age should be exposed to the intense focus that comes with performing on the biggest stage. The International Olympic Committee has since encouraged IFs to make “appropriate adjustments to their regulations” on minimum age limits in their sports. Long before Beijing 2022, the age cap had been debated within the ice skating community.
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