Figure Skating Confessions (2024)

FAQs

Has a woman ever done a quadruple axel? ›

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Yuzuru quad Axel attempt is the first that was not downgraded to triple Axel. On September 14, 2022, in the free skate at the 2022 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, American skater Ilia Malinin landed the first successful quadruple Axel in competition.

There is one called the "quad Axel," or "4A," that is widely considered to be the hardest jump in figure skating. By difficulty, there are six types of jumps in figure skating: the toe loop, the loop, the salchow, the flip, the lutz and the Axel.

According to figure skating historian James Hines, the Axel is "figure skating's most difficult jump". It is the only basic jump in competition that takes off forward, which makes it the easiest jump to identify. Skaters commonly perform a double or triple Axel, followed by a jump of lower difficulty in combination.

Only 17 female figure skaters have done a ratified triple Axel in competition: Midori Ito (the first one to do it), Tonya Harding, Yukari Nakano, Ludmila Nelidina, Mao Asada (the first one to land three triple Axels in one competition), Kimmie Meissner, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Rika Kihira, Mirai Nagasu, Alysa Liu, ...

A double or triple Axel is required in the short program and an Axel is required in the free program for junior and senior single skaters in all ISU competitions. The Axel has an extra half-rotation which, as figure skating expert Hannah Robbins says, makes a triple Axel "more a quadruple jump than a triple".

“We are not aware of any quintuple jump correctly executed and full rotated having been done even in practice. “Therefore there is not an urgent need to add quintuple jumps in the SOV. In any case it is something we will discuss in the near future.” For now, then, everyone can continue to marvel at Malinin's quad Axel.

A quadruple jump requires a grueling four full revolutions in the air. The axel, the only figure skating jump that involves taking off facing forward and then landing backward, elevates the challenge, demanding skaters tack on an additional half revolution to their mighty vault.

Some think it's to simplify the judging processes. There are also evident safety risks, as figure skaters wear no protective gear, and landing incorrectly could cause a serious head injury. A wrong landing could lacerate the ice's surface and damage it, making it harder for the next skater to compete.

It is the second-most difficult jump in figure skating and "probably the second-most famous jump after the Axel".

Lutz, flip, and toe loop are the three jumps with a toe pick takeoff. You can usually see the skater plant the pick into the ice before jumping. Lutz and flip land on the same foot that you pick. Lutz usually has a long glide entry and flip uses a series of turns — or at least one — right before the jump.

What not to do when ice skating? ›

Be sure kids know not to grab another skater to try to break their fall. Doing so usually leads to injuries to both skaters.

Bend your knees quite low into a crouch, lean forward and then tip gently onto your side onto the ice. Roll immediately onto your bottom and put your hands in your lap; this is essential if you want to avoid any nasty skate-blade-fingers interfaces.

To be a top-notch figure skater, you must have unfailing determination and flexibility beyond compare. Beyond that, you have to have the discipline to practice many times a week and the resilience to get back up in the face of failure, competition, and defeat.

Still the only athlete who has ever successfully executed the quad Axel in competition, Malinin's signature jump propelled him into the lead in Beijing, China, as he scored a new international personal best score of 106.90.

Trusova became the first woman to land a quad flip and land a quad Lutz at the Olympics, the first woman to land four and five quads in competition, as well as the first woman to land four and five quads in one program at the Olympics.

Midori Ito (伊藤みどり, Itō Midori, born 13 August 1969) is a retired Japanese figure skater.

Ilia Malinin won the gold medal after an extraordinary free skate. For every other figure-skater, landing a quadruple axel lies outside the realms of possibilities, attempted but never accomplished by an endless parade of skating greats.