ISU makes historic step for governance reform

[gsk8]

ISU Press Release:

The International Skating Union (ISU) today took a decisive step in implementing its governance reform with the election of the three members who will serve on its first-ever Elections Committee. This milestone follows the historic decision taken at the 1st Extraordinary ISU Congress in Lausanne last July, where Members overwhelmingly voted in favour of a modernized ISU Constitutional Framework. From now on, the newly established Elections Committee will be responsible for overseeing all ISU electoral processes in line with the core principles of integrity, fairness and transparency that lie at the heart of the ISU Vision 2030 strategic roadmap.

Gathered online for a fully virtual Congress, 82 ISU Members participated in the voting, resulting in the election of Laura Raitio (Finland), Jodi Abbott (Canada) and Mark Greenwald (USA) as the representatives who will serve on the Elections Committee as from today until September 1, 2029. Five candidates ran for this election - each formally nominated by an ISU Member, vetted by the Elections Committee Working Group, and confirmed by the ISU Council in accordance with Article 4 of the ISU Electoral Code.

“Today’s election represents another pivotal moment in our transformative journey under ISU Vision 2030. With this strategic roadmap, we have already achieved several historic firsts: convening our first Extraordinary Congress and completing the most comprehensive overhaul of the ISU Constitutional Framework in our 133-year history. Today, we put our new framework into practice by electing the members of the Elections Committee for the first time.”

“Good governance is the foundation of a strong and trusted ISU, and this new body will ensure that integrity, fairness, and transparency are embedded at the core of all our electoral activities. I warmly congratulate the newly elected members of the Committee, who embody our commitment to transparency and Member-driven governance, and I look forward to continuing building a stronger future for our organization.”, stated ISU President, Jae Youl Kim.

Overview of newly elected representatives of the ISU Elections Committee: ​

The ISU Members have elected a committee that reflects both the global nature of skating and the diverse expertise required:

• Jodi Abbott brings significant technical expertise as an ISU Referee in Ice Dance and International Referee in Singles and Pairs, bringing with her a profound understanding of competitive integrity across all Figure Skating disciplines.
• Laura Raitio contributes proven leadership experience as former President of the Finnish Figure Skating Association, offering an invaluable perspective on Member governance and strategic decision-making.
• Mark Greenwald provides executive excellence from his tenure as former CEO of US Speed Skating and, with over 50 years of affiliation with the sport as a Speed Skater, Coach, and administrator, contributes organizational leadership and strategic vision to the Committee."

Elections Committee Responsibilities​

The Elections Committee’s mandate is to organize and supervise all election processes within the ISU, including the upcoming 2026 elections at the 60th Ordinary ISU Congress in Tenerife (June 10-12, 2026), and to safeguard the values of good governance — integrity, accountability, and transparency — that build trust and unity within the skating community.

Their comprehensive responsibilities include managing candidature procedures, organizing elections at electoral Congresses, verifying voter identities and running the voting procedure, enforcing constitutional compliance, and distributing information to relevant stakeholders with maximum transparency towards ISU Members.

Further information about the Elections Committee’s role, duties and scope of action can be found in the ISU Electoral Code.

 

[Mathman]

I hate to be a Debby Downer, but is this tweaking of the ISU hierarchy and rules really "historic" and "decisive"? Will it bring about the "integrity, fairness and transparency" that lies at the heart of the ISU core vision?

Oh well. Onward and upward.

 

[lariko]

I don't know the politics enough, so anyone who does, what does this mean for the current polit-athletic rift? Mend or full split? Or unaffected?

 

[TallyT]

I hate to be a Debby Downer, but is this tweaking of the ISU hierarchy and rules really "historic" and "decisive"? Will it bring about the "integrity, fairness and transparency" that lies at the heart of the ISU core vision?

Oh well. Onward and upward.

In my experience as a government employee who saw a LOT of these sort of announcement, it's all blather and high-sounding words. Because words are much easier than actually getting of their backsides and doing something.

 

[Mathman]

It is kind of interesting that the ISU apparently feels that it is their internal election process that needs reforming.

It is not clear to me how the naming of these three individuals to oversee iSU internal elections is expected to constitute a Great Leap Forward -- or even what the responsibilities of this group are. But I am reminded of the election of Ottavio Cinquanta back in the 1990s as ISU President. According to Sonia Bianchetti's account in her book Cracked Ice {she ran against Cinquanta -- or tried to) there were two factions: the figure skaters (the good guys) and the speed skaters (who were always up to no good).

So when it was time for formal nominations, the speed skating side woke up early and rushed the name of Cinquanta forward before the figure skaters had a chance to nominate Bianchetti. There was a rule that no two candidates could be from the same country, so once Cinquanta was on the ballot, Bianchtti (both representing Italy) was ineligible and Mr. C. walked away with the prize uncontested.

(Something like that, I am a little fizzy on all the details.)

 

[jersey1302]

The announcement seems like it could of been condensed into two sentences lol

 

[Isk]

I need a Hermione Granger to explain to me in simple words how this pivotal reform will affect what I will see on my screen.

 

[moonvine]

Sounds like a bunch of gobbledegook.