This is where we discuss figure skating and skating related items. How did you favourite skaters perform, and so on? However we never speculate on the private lives of skaters, like who might be going out with whom, because that is poison and is not tolerated here. A good guideline is that if it's not publicly announced, in the papers etc. then it's probably best to leave it alone. Is it a gray area? Then write to me and ask.
Communication No. 2478
ISU Code of Ethics 2022
In accordance with the ISU Constitution, the ISU Council has considered and adopted a revised
version of the ISU Code of Ethics.
This Communication contains the ISU Code of Ethics 2022 and replaces Communication 2450 with
immediate effect. Changes compared to the previous version are underlined.
The changes are in the areas of harassment and abuse and include both physical and psychological abuse as well as negligence.
6.1 Persons subject to this Code of Ethics shall refrain from all forms of harassment and abuse, be it
sexual, physical or psychological, whether occurring in isolation or in combination or whether
consisting of a one-off incident or a series of incidents, whether done in person or online, (including
but not limited to social media) and in particular from any abuse of authority, i.e. the improper use of
a position of influence, power or authority over another person. Abuse can also take the form of
neglect or negligence.
6.2 For purposes of this provision:
- “Sexual harassment” means unwanted and unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct
of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can take the form of sexual abuse.
- “Sexual abuse” means any conduct of a sexual nature, whether non-contact, contact or
penetrative, where consent is manipulated or is not or cannot be given, where consent is
coerced, manipulated, obtained based on a relationship of dependency or cannot be given
with any legal validity.
- “Physical abuse” means any deliberate, non-accidental trauma or unwelcome act caused, for
example, by punching, beating, kicking, biting, or burning or otherwise physically harming an
athlete. Such act can also consist of forced or inappropriate physical activity (e.g. age- or
physique-inappropriate training loads when injured or in pain), forced alcohol consumption, or
forced or systemic doping practices.
- “Psychological abuse” means a pattern of deliberate, prolonged, repeated non-contact
behaviors within a power-differentiated relationship. “Psychological abuse” can consist of any
unwelcome act including confinement, isolation, verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation,
infantilization, or any other treatment which may diminish the sense of identity, dignity and
self-worth. This form of abuse is at the core of all other forms of abuse.
- “Neglect or negligence” means the failure of a Coach or another person with a duty of care
towards an athlete to provide a minimum level of care, thereby causing harm, allowing harm
to be caused or creating an immediate danger of harm. “Neglect or negligence” can consist of
acts of omission regarding athlete safety. For example, “neglect or negligence” can include
depriving an athlete of food and/or drink; insufficient rest and recovery; failure to provide a
safe physical training environment; or developmental age-inappropriate or physique-
inappropriate training methods. This definition applies to Coaches and athlete entourages.
