Elena Kostyleva: “I didn’t like raising the age minimum. I won’t be able to jump quads at 25 like 17-year-old girls do. It’s much easier at a younger age, I already felt it at 14.”

Elena Kostyleva: I Didn’t Like Raising the Age Minimum — It’s Better to Move Up to Seniors at 16

original source: Sport-Express

Russian figure skater Elena Kostyleva, 14, expressed her disagreement with raising the minimum age for senior competition, saying athletes should be allowed to compete as adults from age 16. Here’s a translation of her comments.

“Q: Do you feel like there’s nowhere to grow now that the age minimum has been raised? In Russia, you’ve won the major competitions, but your senior career is still far off.

Elena Kostyleva: I do feel like there’s nowhere to grow, that’s true. Sasha Trusova was already setting records and making it into the Guinness Book at my age. Just yesterday, I was thinking about how many times I could have made it into that book, but I’m stuck in one place, spinning in our own circle. It’s not just about figure skating – the same thing happens in gymnastics and football. Why should hockey players be affected, for example? It’s not fair! Even my team has to stay in Russia instead of traveling the world.

We athletes haven’t broken any laws or sports rules, but we’re forced to stay locked in because of a problem I have no control over. But that’s the situation, and I guess we just have to get through it. Of course, in my opinion, we should all be allowed to compete internationally. That’s my honest view.

Also, to be frank, I didn’t like raising the age minimum. It’s better to move up to seniors at least at 16. Kamila Valieva competed at the Olympics at 15! I realize that at my age, it’s already possible to win major events – others have done it before. But now we have to wait.

I won’t be able to jump quads at 25 like 17-year-old girls do. Figure skating is evolving every day, and young kids are starting to jump more quads because it’s much easier at a younger age. I realized that this year – it’s really hard to get your body going, to come in the morning and jump. I already felt it at 14.

Q: That was the ISU’s argument.

Elena Kostyleva: I understand – it’s so that 19-year-olds aren’t competing against 14-year-olds, because obviously the kids will win. They’re agile and will jump better. It’s much harder to be technically strong at 19.”

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