A WDSF Presidential Task Force to combat competition manipulation took the decision to announce the names of the adjudicators as part of a trial period.

The panel consists of WDSF President Lukas Hinder, ethics in sports expert Harri Syväsalmi and WDSF code of ethics author Daniel Stehlin.

Belarus’ Tatsiana Lavinovich, China’s Zhang Qingshu and Liu Shuai, Denmark’s Jens Werner, Estonia’s Diana Mitt and Denise Mayes of England are among the adjudicators named for the competition in Shanghai, due to take place on December 10 and 11. 

They are joined by Germany’s Petra Matschullat-Horn, Italy’s Domenico Soale, Japan’s Atsushi Yamada, Lithuania’s Martynas Kura, New Zealand’s Marie Raiend, Russia’s Andrey Shamshurov and Petr Pastorek of Slovakia.

The WDSF claim the procedure to name the officials differs from their previous policy, with the decision taken based on recommendations from the Task Force.

The Task Force had been set up in April by WDSF President Lukas Hinder, who admitted the competition manipulation had been a problem in the sport for several years. 

Their recommendation followed a second meeting earlier this month in Vienna. 

Approval was given for the idea to be put into practice was given by the WDSF’s Sports Commission and the Managing Committees.