USFS proposes lowering the age limit in pairs skating to 16

[saine]

FYI: since 2019, it's 20 pair teams who make the free.

I agree with the general point, however: there are enough teams and the age "freeze" is both unnecessary and cynical.

Sorry, I've been trying to look up the source for it being 16 this year. Someone on Wikipedia has the results set up to 16 advancing to the free, but they didn't cite the source I don't think they pulled it out of nowhere, I just wish I knew where I read that it would be 16 this year is.

It will be changing for next year at least. The 2022 Special Regulations document from the ISU contains information on the qualifying rounds. Page 95:

Starting with the 2024/25 season, based on the result of the Short Program/Rhythm Dance, the Competitors placed 1-24 in Single
Skating, 1-16 in Pair Skating and 1-20 in Ice Dance only shall qualify for the final Free Skating/Free Dance.

Also this year will have an effect on Direct Entries to the short program next year. Page 28:

Twenty-four Direct Entries each in the disciplines Women and Men, sixteen Direct Entries in the Pair Skating discipline and twenty Direct Entries in the Ice Dance discipline will be determined according to paragraph 3.a) and b) of this Rule.

I hope I'm remembering something wrong for this year, there's teams I'm worried about not making the free so 20 is a nicer number for that.

 

[saine]

The age rule I am eager to see: raising the maximum age of the woman in junior pairs/dance to be the same as the maximum age of the man, i.e. currently, reaching 21 after July 1 of the competitive year.

This doesn’t affect many pair teams, but there are teams where the woman has aged out of juniors before the man has under the current rules (thinking specifically of Panetta/Thrasher here). Also, there is the occasional partnership where the woman is older than the man (again, e.g. Panetta/Thrasher).

The rules as they stand now reinforce this larger societal norm that, in a man/woman relationship, the man should be older than the woman. I won’t get into the reasons that this norm made sense in earlier societies. It’s a norm that doesn’t make sense today, and in fact can set up a power imbalance that does not favour the woman in the partnership.

I don’t like that this antiquated principle is embedded in the rules for who is allowed to skate pairs/dance at the junior level, with all that implies about the power dynamics between the male and the female partners.

I've been thinking about Panetta/Thrasher since them splitting made sense under the current rules. Being able to stay together in juniors longer would have been nicer to see. That's how any age rules change should go for pairs.

(Also maybe change some age rules on the Novice side too, Skate Canada? Like an 18 year old man could benefit more with an experienced pairs woman than competing with a 10 year old? Skate Canada has no age requirements Novice pairs, while they do for Novice in singles and ice dance )

There are several successful partnerships where the age gap goes the other way in seniors too. Katie McBeath/Danlil Parkman did well for their first season together and she's 6 years older than him. Alexa Knierim is older than Brandon Frazier by a year. And of course there's Deanna Stellato-Dudek.

The USFS has (or had) pairs women who are older and have been successful. I don't think they need 16 year olds to fill perceived gaps in seniors on the women's side.