(Forgive my rambling thoughts)
There's just so much in this proposal that screams how out of touch the ISU is with figure skating currently. I mean, shouldn't they have implemented something YEARS ago if they recognized this age problem??? Plus, as the ISU and judging have proven over and OVER, component scores don't matter anymore. It's all about the technical. Young girls who do quad jumps are going to win over older girls and young women competing who haven't trained to do quads or need to condition their post-puberty body to perform quad jumps.
If a girl is 15/16 years old, performing quads (Eteri girls basically), they are going to win all the competitions (except the ones where they are competing against one another) so the only thing that would motivate them to continue is if they missed out on an Olympic year. I get that someone like Trusova hasn't won ALL her competitions, but put her against any skater not doing quads and she will come out on top (as long as she doesn't keep falling). It's made ladies skating much more boring to watch really because a lot of these young girls are just a bore to watch outside of their jumps for me (except Kostornaia).
This has all created a very unfortunate situation for figure skating and its future. There was a time when ladies skating progressing into quads would be exciting and draw more interest in the sport, but unfortunately because it is mostly these very young Russian ladies doing them (and subsequently retiring at 17) that interest hasn't come about how the ISU expected. The ISU pretty much encouraged this and ladies skating is suffering as a result. If the skater is just aiming to win an Olympic title and retire thereafter there's nothing to keep me in the sport for ladies skating. (Though I do see my favorite ladies skaters Rika and Kaori possibly competing after the Olympics, I don't see them as gold medal favorites sadly...)
I also believe the ISU does not AT ALL understand the level of Yuzuru's popularity. Are they so used to women skaters pulling in audiences they are ignoring the most popular skater in the world of the last decade? I don't think I need to go too in depth here as others have said what needs to be said in this regard. It is very angering to see that these ISU proposals are coming out in what is likely going to be the twilight of Yuzu's career. He was so far beyond them that the ISU does not realize what they let slip through their fingers.
