The International Skating Union (ISU) Council has taken a range of decisions to boost skating sports, governance and development at its latest meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, also hearing key updates on the continued delivery of skating’s transformation.
Held at the ISU’s Home of Skating headquarters, the three-day meeting featured breakout sessions with key Office Holders, including representatives of several Committees elected at the 60th Ordinary ISU Congress in Tenerife, Spain, in June 2026.
The ISU President, Jae Youl Kim, meets with the newly elected ISU Council at the ISU Office in Lausanne, Switzerland, in October 2026.
With the introduction of the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix semi-finals from season 2027/28 onwards (with the exception of seasons featuring an edition of the Olympic Winter Games), the Council decided on the mechanism to select the skaters for each Semi-Final. Based on the Grand Prix standings after the sixth event, the top 16 Men and Women and top 12 from the Pairs and Ice Dance will skate the semi-finals. The odd numbers in the Grand Prix standings in Men’s and Pairs skating will feature in semi-final 1 and the even numbers in semi-final 2, while the odd numbers in the GP standings in Women’s and Ice Dance will feature in semi-final 2 and the even numbers, semi-final 1. The Skaters/couples finishing in the top three positions in their semi-final will be qualified for the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Final.
Figure Skating will also have a new Officials‘ Evaluation Committee (OEC) operational immediately, with a webinar proposed to update members on its working processes. The OEC is an independent evaluation body that evaluates Judges’ performances. The OEC members have the highest competency, commitment and trust to deliver an objective and neutral evaluation system of the officials, in line with the ISU’s long-term strategic vision.
Negotiations will now start with host venues for the 2027/28 ISU Figure Skating Junior Grand Prix with the Council seeking to balance experience and established expertise with opportunities to expand to new hosts in its decision-making.
The Council received key updates on the preparation of the first Synchro9 season, with the judging system currently being finalized, 16 members having formed teams, education for officials having taken place and a new brand set to be launched next month.
It was also accepted that the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships 2027 will be relocated to the modern, multifunctional Almaty Arena. The switch comes in agreement with the Kazakhstan Skating Union following a fire at a power station serving the left-bank area of Astana, affecting both operations and security around the originally appointed venue in the city.
Meanwhile, overall world ranking systems for both Speed Skating and Short Track are implemented as of season 2026/27. These rankings will operate on a three-season basis.
From the 2027/28 season onwards, the official sporting name of Speed Skating will become ‘Long Track Speed Skating’, although Speed Skating will continue to be the branch name under the ISU’s organizational structure. In addition, the ISU Council decided to maintain financial support for Adults Figure Skating and Masters Speed Skating & Short Track. The ISU Council also decided to increase the contribution to Members for ISU Junior Events.
Finally, the ISU Council heard that to compensate for the addition of 90 skating athletes in the quota for Olympic Winter Games 2030 through the addition of Synchro9 for the first time, two fewer athletes will compete in Speed Skating competitions (one male, one female) and four fewer in Figure Skating (one male, one female, one Ice Dance couple) than in Milano Cortina 2026.
The ISU President, Jae Youl Kim, meets with the newly elected ISU Council at the ISU Office in Lausanne, Switzerland, in October 2026.
The Council approved a revised ISU Code of Ethics and an updated ISU Safeguarding Policy, with both published on ISU’s owned and operated channels and shared with Member Federations.
The Council also received key updates on progress from the Audit, Risk and Investment Committee and the newly established independent Skating Integrity Unit Board since the Congress. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that Rebecca Cairns, Head of the Skating Integrity Unit, is the designated non-voting staff member on the Integrity Unit Board, in accordance with the ISU Constitution.
Strengthened communication with Member Federations was among the key themes of the meeting, discussed in the confirmation of four ISU Member Conferences on the sidelines of the respective ISU World Championships in 2026/27. It also received a first view of the 61st Ordinary ISU Congress, which will take place ahead of Beijing28.
The ISU President, Jae Youl Kim, meets with the newly elected ISU Council at the ISU Office in Lausanne, Switzerland, in October 2026.
The Council approved the ISU Development Strategy 2026-2030 built around the three pillars: Grassroots, Elite and Foundation. An update was given on the ongoing strategy to develop Figure Skating in South America and the Council also agreed to switch the date of World Ice Skating Day to the first Sunday of December on an annual basis from 2027. This year’s global celebration of skating will be on 20 December 2026.
The Council also voted to maintain the support of 85,000USD for season 2026/27 to provide additional financial assistance to Ukrainian skaters living and training outside Ukraine who are competing in ISU events.
The newly elected ISU Council posing in front of the ISU Office in Lausanne, Switzerland, in October 2026.
The ISU Council received detailed updates from the Chair of the Athletes’ Commission and members of the ISU administration on the work of the Sports Medicine & Athlete Health Committee, the progression of ISU’s Sustainability strategy, the continued transformation of the ISU’s Commercial & Marketing infrastructure, and event bidding processes for the 2027/28 and 2028/29 seasons.