Bobrova considers ISU’s decision to raise figure skating age limit political

Olympic champion Ekaterina Bobrova considers the decision of the International Skating Union (ISU) to raise the age limit in political and anti-Russian figure skating.

Earlier, the ISU accepted the organisation’s board’s proposal to gradually raise the age limit to 17.

– Everyone says there seems to be no political background to it. But the problem is that Russia is suffering the most now, it seems. Nobody has such problems. Now, in America, there are no more young people who were. Two champions were 15 years old there: Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes. Something no one itched about then, though, there were no quads back then, but that didn’t matter. Now everyone is starting to worry.

As I understand it, now there are two main criteria for increasing the age. First: 15-year-old girls went in droves, and it seems they got mixed up in women’s and non-women’s individual skating, but we supposedly need women’s skating. Therefore, you go for juniors and skate, and we’ll be looking at beautiful women in singles. Second: everyone is worried about the health of athletes. In their opinion, for some reason there will be fewer quadruple jumps. It seems to me, on the contrary. In the sense that 14-15 year old girls who jump quads will maintain those quads at 17 with all imaginable and inconceivable force, and that is very difficult. You have to grow up like Anechka Shcherbakova or Sasha Trusova, who at 17 are very small, thin, fast and sharp, which allows them to make these jumps at this age.

And also the question is that not every girl will be able to stand up to 17. We have puberty, which hits us at the age of 16-17. He is held in other ways, God forbid. I am neither for nor against. I had no reviews two years ago, so I don’t. On the one hand, it will be interesting to take an interest in women’s individual skating, more particularly in mature girls after 17 years of age. But, on the other hand, what interest aroused our daughters, who skated at 15 and did five quads on the programme! – quotes Bobrova “Championship”.

Next season, the bar for participating in adult competitions will remain at the current level – 15 years. In the 2023/24 season the age limit will be raised to 16 and in 2024/25 to 17. It was also decided to raise the age limit in other ISU disciplines – in speed skating and short track.

Championship