The age limit in figure skating has been raised to reduce Russia’s influence, but international federations will still not be able to do so. This “” opinion was expressed by the four-time champion of Russia Maxim Kovtun .
Previously, the International Skating Union (ISU) Congress approved a gradual increase in the age limit from 15 to 17 years old. It will start operating in the 2023/24 season, when it will be possible to register “adults” from the age of 16, and will finally come into effect in the 2024/25 season.
– It is clear that the qualification was directed mainly against our girls. With their results, they left almost no chance to anyone in the world, so the foreign federations decided to reduce our influence in this way. Well, in parallel, other disciplines have fallen under this blow.
Will it be possible to reduce the influence of Russia? My opinion is no. We still have a powerful adult team, and no one is done with the sport yet. In addition, we have many wonderful juniors who will eventually replace them and who will perform just as well in quad jumps. It is a pity only for the girls who, due to new restrictions, will miss the next Olympics, according to the old qualification, one of them could qualify there.
In general, the most terrible thing about this convention, in my opinion, is that it has maintained the suspension of our skaters. It seems to me that this is the main thing in the current situation,” Kovtun said.
Source : MatchTV
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.
