ISU Congress 2026: Live Blog Day 2
11 Jun 2026
Follow the ISU Congress Day 2 on the ISU Youtube channel:
Day 1 Wrap-up & Day 2 gets underway - 09:00 (WEST)
Good morning from Tenerife!
Day 2 of the 60th Ordinary ISU Congress is officially underway. Delegates representing ISU Members from around the world are returning following a productive opening day that saw several important decisions shaping the future of skating, including:
Today’s agenda promises to be just as engaging, with reports and presentations from Chairs and representatives of key ISU bodies, including the Athletes’ Committee, Development Commission, Athlete Welfare and Safeguarding Commission, Disciplinary Commission, Technical Committees, Medical Commission, Legal Advisor, and more.
Stay tuned for further updates from Tenerife as discussions continue on the future direction of our sport.
Congress recognises the contribution of ISU Legal Advisor Michael Geistlinger - 09:05 (WEST)
Delegates paid tribute to ISU Legal Advisor Michael Geistlinger as he delivered his final report to Congress. During more than a decade of service to the ISU, Geistlinger played a key role in advising the ISU Council and supporting the development and implementation of the ISU's new constitutional framework, governance reforms and regulatory structure.
Disciplinary Commission report and discharge - 09:10 (WEST)
Disciplinary Commission reported at the 60th Ordinary ISU Congress, highlighting the important work taking place behind the scenes to uphold strong governance, integrity and accountability across the ISU and the wider skating community.
As an independent body elected by Congress, the Disciplinary Commission serves as the first-instance authority responsible for hearing and deciding cases involving alleged disciplinary, anti-doping, and ethical violations.
Access to all Disciplinary cases is available here: https://www.isu.org/disciplinary-decisions/
Development Activity Report - 09:35 (WEST)
Development takes centre stage at the Congress, with ISU Head of Development and Member Relations Yihuan Chang presenting the Development Activity Report from the past four years. The report highlighted a number of key initiatives to support the sustainable development of sport worldwide, including:
- Over the past four years, ISU initiatives have reached more than 15,000 skaters and over 1,000 coaches worldwide, while 88% of ISU Members benefited directly from development activities.
- The program played a key role at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, where 109 participating athletes had previously been supported through ISU development initiatives.
- Looking ahead, the ISU plans to strengthen coach and official education pathways, expand activity in emerging regions and continue supporting the growth of all skating disciplines, including Synchro9
Athletes Commission Report - 10:00 (WEST)
Presenting his final report as Athletes Commission Chair, Douwe de Vries reflected on the growth of athlete representation within the ISU since the Commission was established in 2016.
Over the past decade, athlete representation has evolved significantly, with athletes now playing an active role in shaping decisions, including through representation on the ISU Council. De Vries also highlighted the Commission's efforts to strengthen dialogue with athletes across all disciplines and ensure their perspectives are reflected in the future development of the sport.
Looking ahead, the Commission will continue to focus on strengthening communication with athletes, increasing engagement across all disciplines and ensuring the athlete voice remains central to the implementation of Vision 2030.
The Congress also marked the end of de Vries' tenure as Chair, with Olympic Champion Evan Bates set to take over leadership of the Athletes Commission.
Medical Commission Report - 10:50 (WEST)
Medical Commission Chair Dr Jane Moran gave a thorough report on the commission's work. The health and wellbeing on skaters was at the top of the agenda. Some of the key highlights include:
- 14 ISU events hosted a Calm Zone during the 2025/26 season with more than 1,000 athlete visits.
- Introduction of a new Mental Health Action Plan for event organisers
- A new collaboration with the Podium Institute at the University of Oxford to study head impacts in Short Track Speed Skating and support future improvements in helmet safety.
- Creation of dedicated working group to review developments relating to athlete eligibility policies following recent IOC guidance.
ISU and ITA mark successful first year of anti-doping partnership - 11:10 (WEST)
The Congress also welcomed International Testing Agency (ITA) Head of International Federations & Major Events, Matteo Vallini, to Tenerife. He gave a key update on the ITA's work in the past year since the ISU delegated its anti-doping program for independent management (read more here).
Skating continues its unwavering commitment to protecting clean sport and clean athletes.
- 1674 anti-doping test completed during 2025/26 season
- 470 tests carried out during the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, representing approximately 20% of all anti-doping tests conducted across the Games.
Athlete Welfare and Sustainability Report - 11:30 (WEST)
A big round of applause there for the ISU Head of Athlete Welfare and Sustainability Ruth Trevallion.
Athlete welfare has been a cornerstone of the ISU's work under President Jae Youl Kim and Vision 2030 roadmap. Her report noted:
- 300,000 social media comments analysed through the Arwen AI cyber safety programme
- 92 athlete social media profiles monitored during the 2025/26 season
- More than 50% of all negative comments recorded through the programme occurred during the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
- Expansion of athlete welfare support at the Olympic Winter Games, including dedicated mental health and safeguarding resources
- Launch of a survey to better understand athlete career transition support across the skating community
- Continued strengthening of safeguarding programmes and collaboration with Member federations
The report also highlighted the ISU's sustainability work, including the introduction of Sustainability Guidelines for event organisers and the appointment of athlete representatives to the Environmental Sustainability Working Group
Single and Pair Figure Skating Technical Committee Report - 12:00 (WEST)
Fabio Bianchetti, Chair of the ISU Figure Skating Technical Committee, provided an update on programme changes for the 2026/27 season, alongside its ongoing work to support the development of the sport.
Key highlights included:
- Updates to Singles Skating programmes, including a maximum of six jump elements, one choreographic spin, one step sequence and one choreographic sequence.
- Introduction of new choreographic spin elements designed to give skaters greater creative freedom and encourage artistic expression.
- New choreographic lifts in Pair Skating, offering athletes more opportunities to showcase innovation and performance quality.
- Ongoing investment in the education and development of officials through seminars, examinations, e-learning programmes and recertification initiatives.
- Continued collaboration with coaches, athletes and the ISU Development Commission to support the growth of Figure Skating worldwide.
Ice Dance Technical Committee Report - 12:30 (WEST)
Shawn Rettstatt, Ice Dance Technical Committee Chair, highlighted significant growth across the discipline, including the rapid expansion of International Solo Dance and continued efforts to enhance athlete and coach engagement.
Key highlights included:
- International Solo Dance expanded from just two competitions three years ago to nine international events during the 2025/26 season.
- 37 ISU Members have already participated in international Solo Dance competitions.
- Introduction of a new Creative Dance Element as part of the continued evolution of the Rhythm Dance.
Looking ahead, the Committee will continue to focus on official education, athlete engagement and the further development of Solo Dance.
Synchronized Skating Technical Committee Report - 12:50 (WEST)
Lois Long, Interim Chair of the Synchronized Skating Technical Committee highlighted continued growth across the discipline, while looking ahead to the introduction of Synchro 9 and its debut at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Key highlights included:
- 30 ISU Members participating in Synchronized Skating.
- More than 1,300 teams and approximately 22,000 athletes competing across ISU and non-ISU categories.
- Development of new education pathways and training programmes to support the rollout of Synchro 9.
Lois Long described Synchro 9 as a major milestone for the sport, creating new opportunities for Members, athletes and future growth while helping bring Synchronized Skating to new audiences around the world.
Speed Skating Technical Committee Report - 14:50 (WEST)
Nick Thometz, Chair of the ISU Speed Skating Technical Committee, highlighted ongoing efforts to modernise the discipline, improve officiating standards and enhance competition formats.
Key highlights included:
- Introduction of a new Mass Start elimination format, tested at Junior World Cups and set to be implemented at senior level next season.
- Continued development of the Mixed Relay event, designed to create more participation opportunities for smaller skating nations.
- Expansion of education programmes for referees, starters and competition coordinators, including enhanced testing and video-based learning tools.
- Ongoing work to recruit and develop the next generation of officials in response to an ageing officiating workforce.
- Increased collaboration with athletes, coaches and team leaders through regular consultation meetings at the beginning and end of each season.
The Committee Chair also highlighted its commitment to sustainability through reduced travel, combined meetings and more environmentally conscious event operations.
Short Track Technical Committee Report - 15:05 (WEST)
Nathalie Lambert, Chair of the ISU Short Track Technical Committee, outlined a series of initiatives that were undertaken over the past four years to support the continued growth and evolution of the discipline under Vision 2030.
Key highlights included:
- Successful launch of the ISU Junior World Cup Series, which attracted strong participation from Members around the world.
- Introduction of the Crystal Globe and Team Crystal Globe concepts to strengthen athlete recognition and team identities.
- New innovations to improve transparency and understanding of officiating decisions, including referee announcements, live video review footage and enhanced broadcast graphics.
- Expansion of official education programmes, including live refereeing workshops, apprentice pathways and post-event debrief sessions.
- Continued collaboration with athletes, coaches and team leaders, with several recent rule changes and competition innovations developed through direct consultation with the skating community.
The Committee also reaffirmed its commitment to athlete safety, education and competition innovation as Short Track continues to grow its global audience.
