The organization that oversees competitive ice skating in the U.K. has announced that same-sex pairs will be eligible to compete in couples competitions in 2026.
British Ice Skating (BIS) formerly known as National Skating Association of Great Britain (NISA) was established in 1879. The announcement came via BIS’s official website stating: “These updates follow recent reviews across all disciplines and reflect our continued commitment to supporting skater development, performance pathways, and fair access to competition…same-sex couples will now be permitted to compete in all events, including at the Championships.”
Following the recent decision, same-sex ice dancing partners will be able to compete starting in March of this year. Despite this, these pairs will not be able to compete beyond the national level, as same-sex couples are still barred from Olympic-level ice dance competitions.
Britain is not the first nation to make this crucial change. Canada became the first to allow same-sex pairings back in 2022. And Finland has also since followed suit. For years, both ice skating fans and professional skaters have been advocating for this change, hoping to make the sport more inclusive.
According to The Guardian, ice skating champions and followers have been advocating for this change for a while. Retired U.S. Olympic champion Madison Hubbell and France’s champion Gabriella Papadakis have skated as a pair in exhibitions to raise awareness for same-sex pairings.
Canadian champion Scott Moir has also advocated for reform claiming the inclusion of same-sex pairings in ice dancing provides more opportunities for female skaters who often come up against a shortage of male partners in the sport, The Guardian reports.
The International Skating Union (ISU), which oversees international skating competitions, has not yet budged on its current gender requirements for competing pairs.
