DUBLIN — The International Skating Union gave Ottavio Cinquanta two more years as president, and effectively told him to step down in 2016.
Cinquanta’s term was supposed to end this month, and the 75-year-old Italian reached the maximum age limit.
But the ISU Congress in Dublin compromised to appease him by moving the quadrennial elections from 2014 to 2016 at his recommendation, but rejected proposals to change or remove the age limits of its office holders.
Cinquanta has been head of the ISU for 20 years.
The congress also rejected a proposal to remove judges’ anonymity in single, pair skating and ice dance.
Scoring and the judging system have been criticized as being complicated and open to corruption — an issue which came into the spotlight when Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova won at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
The teenager’s victory sparked a furor when she beat defending champion Yuna Kim, after which calls for an inquiry into the result were backed by a petition with more than two million signatures.
Among reforms approved in speedskating, mass starts will be included at the 2018 Winter Olympics, subject to IOC approval, while the 500 meters for men and women at the games will be held over one race only.
The world sprint speedskating championships will have a fixed number of participants, 32 men and 32 women.
In short track, qualification for the Winter Olympics will be held over four World Cups instead of two.
Also, the ISU rules were amended in case the IOC accepts synchronized skating into the Olympics.
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