The Future of Figure Skating breaks down the issues facing the sport and interviews the change-makers and visionaries who are making the skating world a healthier and more inclusive place.
Magdalena Tascher is the president of the Polish Figure Skating federation, and also commentates for Eurosport. You might have seen her in Team Poland’s box during the Olympics waving a pierogi plushie! In this conversation, we got into the challenges of growing figure skating’s popularity in Poland, which of the ISU’s proposals might help that goal, and the importance of maintaining joy as a part of the sport.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/pb1JX8447yM (https://youtu.be/pb1JX8447yM)
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cvbtk293C96qV8OKBxW9H4gaCZVvdayxNSYI00xa7E4/edit?tab=t.0 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cvbtk293C96qV8OKBxW9H4gaCZVvdayxNSYI00xa7E4/edit?tab=t.0)
You can reach me at fsfuturepodcast at gmail.com (http://gmail.com/) or on Instagram at FutureFSPodcast. You can also support my work by making a contribution at ko-fi.com/futureoffigureskating (https://ko-fi.com/futureoffigureskating). Remember to subscribe to the Future of Figure Skating on YouTube and your podcast platform of choice and share it with your friends.
Links:
Article on ISU’s proposed changes and athlete reactions: https://anythinggoe.com/bigchangesfromisu/ (https://anythinggoe.com/bigchangesfromisu/)
Interview with Ioulia Chtchetinina and Michal Wozniak:https://anythinggoe.com/ioulia-chtchetinina-and-michal-wozniak-if-you-dont-enjoy-it-dont-do-it/ (https://anythinggoe.com/ioulia-chtchetinina-and-michal-wozniak-if-you-dont-enjoy-it-dont-do-it/)
Interview with Dasa Grm: https://anythinggoe.com/dasa-grm-2023/ (https://anythinggoe.com/dasa-grm-2023/)
14 Sept 2026
Philip Hersh: Can rule changes make skating popular again?
Philip Hersh spent 28 years as Olympic sports writer for the Chicago Tribune and has gone on to write about the Olympics and figure skating for Ice Network and NBC Olympics. He has covered 21 Olympics, 13 winter and 8 summer, as well as 38 US figure skating championships, 21 world championships, and many other competitions in Olympic sports. Recently, Phil has been writing about the changes that the ISU has been proposing for the coming seasons, and the opposition from federations and many athletes to those changes.
In this episode, we get into how this is, and is not, the same as past times that the ISU has made a lot of changes. And we also talked a little bit about what we're both looking forward to with the coming 26-27 season.
YouTube:
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i14A8fcqcufgnzNQh5-t8IX7B6RJxFc-APFC_sul9Q0/edit?tab=t.0 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i14A8fcqcufgnzNQh5-t8IX7B6RJxFc-APFC_sul9Q0/edit?tab=t.0)
You can read Phil's reporting at www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com (http://www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com).
You can reach me at fsfuturepodcast at gmail.com (http://gmail.com) or on Instagram at FutureFS Podcast. You can also support my work by making a contribution at ko-fi.com/ (http://ko-fi.com/)future of figure skating. Remember to subscribe to the future of figure skating on YouTube and your podcast platform of choice and share it with your friends.
Links:
Phil’s articles on rule changes:
August: https://www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com/home/2026/8/27/save-the-dates-skating-fans-but-which-dates-will-they-be (https://www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com/home/2026/8/27/save-the-dates-skating-fans-but-which-dates-will-they-be)
January 2026: https://www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com/home/2026/1/16/figure-skating-officials-weigh-major-changes-in-rules-schedule (https://www.globetrottingbyphiliphersh.com/home/2026/1/16/figure-skating-officials-weigh-major-changes-in-rules-schedule)
My article on proposed changes and athlete reactions:
https://anythinggoe.com/bigchangesfromisu/ (https://anythinggoe.com/bigchangesfromisu/)
Coverage of Summer Sizzler:
https://anythinggoe.com/sizzler26/ (https://anythinggoe.com/sizzler26/)
7 Sept 2026
Eri Lee: Scholarship, Coaching and "Liberating Skating"
K Eri Lee is a Ph.D. student in Feminist Studies with a focus on elite, national-team sport and the Asian diaspora. They are also a figure skating coach and former US national team synchronized skater with the Haydenettes. You might also know Eri through their fabulously informative instagram account, @LiberatingSkating.
Eri works to build sporting worlds where everyone, regardless of where they come from or who they are, can experience the joy of movement and community. We had a wide-ranging conversation about nationalism, belonging, synchro, coaching, putting research into practice, and how to communicate on the internet!
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k-SggOGDZYtB6QJD6lGZEZlL105UyK6PK8RkzyYkXcg/edit?tab=t.0 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k-SggOGDZYtB6QJD6lGZEZlL105UyK6PK8RkzyYkXcg/edit?tab=t.0)
YouTube: https://youtu.be/APBoaHqyLfE (https://youtu.be/APBoaHqyLfE)
Learn more about Eri, and read their blog, at their website, www.eri-lee.com (http://www.eri-lee.com)
Their instagram is @liberatingskating
You can reach me with comments or suggestions for topics and people I should talk to, by email at fsfuturepodcast@gmail.com (mailto:fsfuturepodcast@gmail.com) or Instagram @futurefspodcast
You can also support the podcast by making a one-time or recurring contribution at Ko-Fi.com/futureoffigureskating (http://Ko-Fi.com/futureoffigureskating).
Remember to subscribe to The Future of Figure Skating on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with your friends!
Links:
I reference the post “Is Synchro a Feminist Sport?”
https://www.instagram.com/liberatingskating/reel/DcG2bfiRLov/ (https://www.instagram.com/liberatingskating/reel/DcG2bfiRLov/)
Eri on “The End of Sport” podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-as-a-weapon-podcast/id1527375756 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-as-a-weapon-podcast/id1527375756)
The International Workers’ Olympiads
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Olympiads (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Olympiads)
The Tucker Center for Research on Women and Girls in Sport
https://tuckercenter.umn.edu/ (https://tuckercenter.umn.edu/)
Who has been a guest on The Future of Figure Skating
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Pooja Kalyan
Gary Beacom
Natálie Taschlerová
Filip Taschler
Peter Grütter
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
58,389
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
20 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 73 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
81
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
85
Contact The Future of Figure Skating
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