The 2022 ISU Congress recently voted in favor of gradually increasing the age limit from 15 to 17 years for figure skating competitions at the Olympics. According to the new rules, the minimum age will remain at 15 for the 2022-23 season, increase to 16 for 2023-24, and then to 17 from the 2024-25 season onwards. 

While it is certainly a solid acknowledgment from the ISU of the risk to young skaters, it isn’t quite the solution fans had been looking for. And the 1998 Olympic champion, Tara Lipinski, outlined why it doesn’t work.

Tara Lipinski slams ISU for the new rule

In 1998, Tara Lipinski was only 15 years old when she won the gold medal at the Nagano Winter Olympics. A year before that, she was already the youngest female skater to win the World Championships. When the ISU raised the age limit for Olympic qualification, Lipinski took to social media to express her discontentment.

“Raising the age limit is a quick fix that will deny athletes a performance on the biggest stage, and ultimately not make a difference in stopping the abuse. These young athletes will still be skating under this broken system, you just won’t see them til they are 17,” Lipinski tweeted.

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She raised concern that with this decision, ISU is essentially skirting around the real problem and only protecting themselves. She elaborated on Instagram, “How does this rule protect these athletes? They’ve protected themselves from another future worldwide scandal that involves a 15-year-old.”

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The real problem is not the age at which skaters are stepping on the Olympic stage. They will continue to train under the same circumstances that have allowed their abuse in the past. Lipinski concluded, “There will still be 15-year-olds that are not eligible for senior competition that will continue to train under this same broken system. You just won’t see it. It just will be buried.”

The Beijing figure skating controversy

The 2022 Beijing Olympic controversy triggered this decision. Russian skater Kamila Valieva, competing under the ROC flag, failed a drug test administered during a domestic competition in December.

She tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency revealed the result after the team event. This called into question the validity of ROC’s team gold and the IOC delayed the medal ceremony until further investigation.

Despite the failed drug test, the IOC allowed Valieva to compete in the individual events. Here, finished off the podium, placing fourth. Her tearful exit from the rink was a heartbreaking sight. The world questioned the system that allowed a 15-year-old to be caught up in a doping scandal.

As Valieva is a minor, the accountability for the incident falls upon the coaches and adults supporting her through her skating career. The increase in age requirements was ISU’s only step in taking responsibility and has left many unsatisfied.

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