ISU to allow "neutral" skaters from RUS/BLR to compete at 2026 Olympics

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I think that the team situation snuck up on the ISU and caught them off guard. Skating is not a team sport, and even on "team" competitions the "teamness" of the format is pretty loosy-goosy.

Except for pairs. If a pairs team won the gold medal and then it was revealed that one partner was in violation of the rules, the other partner would not be allowed to keep his/her half of the medal. Smlarly if one member of a sychro team was discovered to have taken forbidden drugs, there would not be any question of allowing the rest of the team to proceed to the podium.

But a "team" competition with no teamwork, with everyone just performing as an individual and then adding up the scores -- I can see why there is discussion about whether the whole team is automatically out or whether they should just forfeit the points earned by the errant individual.

Hah, let's be honest, if a pairs team was DQ'ed from the team event for doping, the ISU would probably find it logical to let that country keep half the points of that segment if the other partner was clean (so if they were 3rd and got 8 points, they'd keep 4).

It stands to say that if a segment has an entry who is DQed, then everyone in that segment who moves up should be given the points issued for their new placement. KV being DQ'ed means that Wakaba was 1st in the SP segment and should get 10 points and Schizas was 2nd in the segment and should get 9 points, and in the FS segment, Sakamoto is bumped up to first and should get 10 points, and Schizas is bumped up to 2nd and should get 9 points. There is simply no logical explanation for this other than the ISU placating ROC. When a person/team is caught doping (which some countries are certainly more familiar with than others...) the people behind them move up a spot, and get any points/medals/etc. associated with the new position.

Speaking of which... why are KV's scores/results even on the ISU OWG 2022 page and no updates have been made to the standings?

XXIV Olympic Winter Games 2022 - Women Single Skating - Short Program

results.isu.org

XXIV Olympic Winter Games 2022 - Women Single Skating - Free Skating

results.isu.org

Team Event

results.isu.org

 

[GS Forum Staff]

The purpose of this thread was to discuss the ISU's announcement regarding "a pathway to allow a limited number of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) to participate under strict conditions" that was released over a month ago.

Until further information is provided and/or assignments are made, this thread will now be closed.