International Skating Union revises major rules

Backflip jumps are expected to be more frequently seen in figure skating going forward. The International Skating Union (ISU) revised the figure skating rules at the 59th regular general meeting held in Las Vegas, the U.S., on Friday (local time), deleting the backflip jump from the list of techniques that violate regulations, effective from the 2024-2025 season.

The backflip jump has been classified as a non-compliant technique since 1976 because of the risk of falling headfirst, which could result in serious injury, and the movements could appear obscene. So far, athletes who showcased banned techniques have received a 2-point deduction from the overall score. As figure skate rankings are competed in decimal units, it has been difficult for athletes to attempt backflip jumps. France's Surya Bonaly, who had been the center of attention on grounds for losing the gold medal at the 1994 World Championships due to 'racism,' attempted a backflip jump at the 1998 Nagano Olympics even though she knew her points would be removed. She attracted attention at the time by saying, “I knew I couldn’t win, so I did everything I could.”

The backflip jump is a movement that athletes today do without much difficulty. “Backflips are very spectacular, and nowadays, it is not logical anymore to include them as illegal movements,” the ISU said. The rule revision is part of the ISU’s ‘Vision 2030,’ which aims to promote and modernize figure skating.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com