{"id":4623,"date":"2026-10-12T22:43:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T19:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vsaworld.com\/blog\/?p=4623"},"modified":"2026-10-12T22:43:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T19:43:56","slug":"figure-skating-judging-gets-an-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vsaworld.com\/blog\/figure-skating-judging-gets-an-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Figure Skating Judging Gets an Upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ilia Malinin \u00a9 Pinterest<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Skating Union (ISU) is preparing to strengthen judging in figure skating through data analysis, new technology, and expanded education for officials. The initiative aims to improve consistency and transparency while preserving the human expertise and artistic interpretation that make the sport unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plans were outlined on October 12, 2026, by Emilie Billow, the ISU\u2019s first Head of Officials for figure skating, during a media roundtable ahead of the 2026\u201327 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appointed in June 2026, Billow is responsible for supporting the development, evaluation, education, and appointment of officials. With nearly 30 years of experience in figure skating, she has worked as an ISU referee, judge, and technical controller, officiated at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and served on the ISU Technical Committee for Singles and Pairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her priorities are clear: professionalization, data-driven evaluation, and technological innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data to Help Select Judges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most significant changes will affect judge selection for the 2027 World Figure Skating Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ISU has developed a judging-data analysis system in collaboration with Maelstrom. According to information presented by the organization, the system examines scoring from 84 international competitions over three seasons, covering more than 500 judges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The analysis includes over 800,000 element marks and approximately 290,000 program component marks. It is designed to help evaluate scoring accuracy, consistency, and fairness, giving the ISU a stronger evidence base for decisions about officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStarting this season, this data will support the selection of judges for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2027,\u201d Billow explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization intends to expand this approach to other major competitions in the coming seasons. For now, its focus remains on ISU events, and Billow acknowledged that improving consistency will take time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal is not simply to collect more numbers. By identifying judging patterns, the ISU hopes to make decisions more informed by evidence and help athletes feel confident that their performances are assessed fairly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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