Axel Jump: Figure Skating| Video| Slow motion

American teenager Ilya Malinin on Saturday (October 23) landed the first quadruple axel in the Grand Prix of figure skating history. Today we will discuss about Axel Jump: Figure Skating| Video| Slow motion

Axel Jump: Figure Skating| Video| Slow motion

The Axel Jump, also known as the Axel Paulsen Jump for its creator, Norwegian figure skater Axel Paulsen, is an edge in the sport of figure skating. This is the oldest and most difficult jump in figure skating. It is the only competition jump that begins with a forward takeoff, making it the easiest jump to detect. All International Skating Union (ISU) competitions require a double or triple axel in both the short programs and free skating events for junior and senior single skaters.

Men’s singles
Abbr.	Jump	Skater	Nation	Event	Ref.
4T	Quad toe loop	Kurt Browning	Canada	1988 World Championships	[6][7][8]
4S	Quad Salchow	Timothy Goebel	United States	1998 Junior Grand Prix Final	[9]
4Lo	Quad loop	Yuzuru Hanyu	Japan	2016 Autumn Classic International	[10]
4F	Quad flip	Shoma Uno	Japan	2016 Team Challenge Cup	[11]
4Lz	Quad Lutz	Brandon Mroz	United States	2011 Colorado Springs Invitational	[12]
4A	Quad Axel	Ilia Malinin	United States	2022 CS U.S. Classic

Figure Skating

The axle is sometimes the hardest jump for figure skaters to learn. This jump has at least 1.5 spins in the middle of the air, making it more difficult to land than some other jumps. There is also a double axle with 2.5 spin and a triple axle with 3.5 spin. No one has successfully driven a quadruple axle in a competition before, but you’ll probably be the first! Learn the proper stance and execution of an Axel, and practice it frequently along with other strength and stability moves to build your skills.

Video

Trevor Lack provides a checklist of insights for Axel. This page shows an Excel attempt in real time, once as in the original video and once zoomed in. The video is then shown in slow motion for your analysis and comparison with Trevor’s notes below.

Note: This video was captured in response to customer requests for axles or double axles using counter-counter axle entrance taught by Michelle Leigh. Here’s the jump (video taken using iPad2).

Slow motion

The axel is typically regarded as the most difficult figure skating jump. The single axel is the first jump that requires more than one full rotation in the air. The axel takes off from a forward outside edge, rotates in the direction of the take-off edge, and lands on the opposite foot on a back outside edge. Contrary to popular belief, the axel DOES NOT rotate 1 1/2 times in the air. Total rotation of the entire element is roughly 1 1/2 revolutions, but some of that is actually accomplished on the ice.

The axel is particularly challenging because few skaters learning the jump have proper control of the forward outside edge needed for take-off. The double axel is especially challenging for more advanced skaters because it requires significantly more athleticism and control than any other double jump. In terms of skill, it more closely resembles a triple jump than the other doubles. Also, skaters learning a double axel often have ingrained bad habits from years of doing single axels incorrectly, making the jump that much harder. Even now, more than 50 years after they were first landed, the triple axel is a rare accomplishment of only the most athletic and skilled figure skaters.

The videos below share an astonishing amount of information on how to do an axel. As with nearly everything in figure skating, the mechanics of what actually happens in the jump vary to some extent from skater to skater. But teaching methods vary even more. Coaches use a very large variety of descriptions and drills to develop the skills and help their skaters land this amazing and beautiful jump.

The videos below are organized into figure skating axel tips published from most recent to least recent. Regardless of the date of publication, ALL information below is relevant today for coaches, skaters, and skating parents.