The International Skating Union (ISU) has announced a one-year disqualification for Ukrainian judge Olena Lisova. She is banned from judging competitions and contacting the figure skater she intimidated, effective from the beginning of 2025.
The suspension followed a complaint from a dancer. The dancer alleged that Lysova approached him during a competition and critically assessed his pair's performance, calling the quality unacceptable. When asked how they could improve, the judge reportedly hinted that the only solution was for the pair to return to their previous coaches. She warned that their participation in competitions would otherwise become impossible because "she would ensure it."
The victim's name is not disclosed, but the incident is known to have occurred on October 12, 2024, at the Budapest Trophy tournament. The only Ukrainian ice dance pair competing in that event was Pinchuk-Pogorielov, who subsequently changed coaches, moving from Galina Churilova to Matteo Zanni.
The ISU Disciplinary Committee recognized Lysova's violation of the Code of Ethics but found no grounds for an abuse charge, as that requires systematic behavior. Notably, the figure skater attempted to withdraw his complaint during the proceedings, but the investigation continued because the ISU itself initiated the complaint.
