Law 10: ISU events and the Olympic Winter Games

ISU Events include the ISU Championships, the Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix Series and Finals, the World Team Trophy and the Olympic qualifying competition. Joint national championships remain national competitions.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Articles 1.2, 3.1.4 and 4.1 · applied

The Council appoints an ISU Representative for ISU Championships; it is the highest ISU official at the event and decides every organisational matter not in another official's hands.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 1.4 · recall

The Olympic and Youth Olympic Games are the property of the IOC; the ISU administers the skating like an international competition and takes on its technical control and direction.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 2.1 · recall

Olympic skating follows the Olympic Charter, the IOC's qualification principles and the ISU rules as far as feasible; where IOC provisions and ISU rules conflict, the IOC provisions prevail.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 2.2.1 · recall

All ISU officials at the Olympic Games are appointed by the Council and must be ISU-designated; a judge may serve in no more than two disciplines at the same Games.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 2.2.5 · recall

A host ISU Member that went through qualifying without earning an entry in a discipline may enter one competitor there as an additional entry, if the minimum Olympic element score was reached.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 400 A.6 · applied

Novel formats may be tried, with the Council's approval, at international or open international competitions, but not at ISU Championships.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 3.2.2 · recall

Most entries are earned at the preceding World Championships; the rest at a qualifying competition in the autumn; the list of entries is published by 30 October; then the Games.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 400 A.2-4 and A.9 · applied

The World Championships before the Games decide 16 entries in pair skating, 19 in ice dance and 24 each for women and men; the rest are filled at the autumn qualifier.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 400 A.3 · recall

At the Olympic Winter Games the draws follow the rules for ISU Championships, but the draw for the Short Program or Rhythm Dance is held two days in advance: day B.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 403 · applied

An international competition needs a host inviting at least two other ISU Members, entries made through the Members, competitors from at least two Members, and ISU rules.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 3.1.1 · applied

Joint national championships officially announced as such, with separate results for each Member, are national competitions, not international ones.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 3.1.4 · recall

The Challenger Series links international competitions to prepare skaters for qualifying and competing in ISU Championships.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 3.1.2 · recall

Only skaters belonging to an ISU Member of a European country, as the Council of Europe defines it, who meet the minimum technical requirements may compete.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 10.1.2.2 · recall

Four Continents competitors belong to a non-European Member and are either nationals of a non-European state or have ordinarily lived outside Europe for at least one year before the Championships.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 10.1.2.3 · applied

Each Member may enter one substitute per entry, who may compete only if the original competitor's name was withdrawn at least one hour before the first draw.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.5 · applied

At ISU Championships the two segments of a discipline must not be skated on the same day and should be completed within three consecutive days.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rules 344.2 and 376.2 · applied

The minimum Combined Total Element Score must be reached first; entries by name are due 28 days before the first official practice day; the host gives one free practice day before the first competition day.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rules 376.1 and 378.1, 378.4 · applied

One hour before the first draw; three consecutive days for the two segments; eight days at most for the Championships; 28 days before the first practice day for entries by name.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rules 376 and 378.1, 378.5 · recall

To enter an ISU Championship a skater must have reached the season's minimum Combined Total Element Score at a qualifying competition; only C's bar reaches the line.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.4 · applied

Each ISU Member may enter at least one competitor per discipline at the Europeans, the Junior Worlds and the Worlds, provided the minimum element score is met; extra entries depend on the year before.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.2 a · recall

At the Four Continents each Member may enter up to three competitors per discipline, provided they meet the minimum element score.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.2 b · recall

Points are the sum of placements; when a Member entered three competitors in a discipline, only the two best placed count.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.3 a · applied

Competitors in the top ten of the first segment who did not start or finish the free because of certified illness, injury or equipment damage are not counted as entered.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.3 a · applied

The title is built as ISU, the sport, the discipline, the Championship and the year: for example ISU Figure Skating Ice Dance World Champions 2026.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 12.1 · recall

Every skater who takes part in at least one of the two segments of a figure skating team competition gets a medal if the team places in the top three.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 12.2.1.2 · recall

The champion's national anthem is played and the flags of the countries of the three (or more, after a tie) medallists are shown, where possible; the host provides anthems and flags.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Article 12.2.3.5 · recall

After each segment the ISU Representative, a Council member or else the Referee presents small bronze, silver and gold medals without anthem or flags; the Championship medals follow the confirmed final results.

Source: ISU CER 2026, Articles 12.2.3.1 and 12.2.3.6 · applied

Points equal the placement (1, 12), but a free skater placed lower than 16th counts 16, and a single skater who missed the free counts 18.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.3 a · applied

With two competitors counting, three entries need a total of no more than 13 points, two entries no more than 28. A: 4 + 8 = 12 earns three; B (6 + 9 = 15) and C (2 + 14 = 16) earn two; D (17 + 20, counted as 16 + 16 = 32) earns one.

Source: ISU Sports Rules S&P/ID 2026, Rule 378.3 · applied