Axel jump

The Axel is a jump in figure skating, named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen (1855-1938) who was the first to perform it in 1882. A single axel consists of 1 and 1/2 rotations in the air. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, it has a takeoff from the left forward outside edge and a landing on the right back outside edge; this can be reversed for a clockwise jump. The axel can also be done as a double jump with 2 1/2 rotations, or as a triple with 3 1/2 rotations. No skater has yet accomplished a quadruple axel.

Axel firsts

Axel Paulsen was the first skater to perform the jump named after him, in 1882. Curiously, he performed this feat wearing speed skates rather than figure skates.

Related Topics:
Axel Paulsen - 1882 - Speed skates

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In the early years of skating, jumping was the exclusive domain of men. Sonja Henie is generally acknowledged as the first female skater to perform an axel jump. Today, however, her axel technique (preserved in her many films) would be considered very poor, since her jumps were badly pre-rotated without a "step up", giving them more the character of a jumped spin.

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Dick Button was the first skater to land a double axel jump in competition, at the 1948 Winter Olympics. Button's coach Gus Lussi was responsible for developing the modern axel jump technique. Carol Heiss became the first woman to perform a double axel in 1953.

Related Topics:
Dick Button - 1948 Winter Olympics - Gus Lussi - Carol Heiss - 1953

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Canadian skater Vern Taylor was the first to land a triple axel in competition at the 1978 World Figure Skating Championships. It has since become a standard jump for male competitors, but it is rare for female skaters to successfully land them, or even to attempt them. Only a small handful of women have ever succeeded in competition, including Midori Ito (1989 World Figure Skating Championship) and Tonya Harding (1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships). Most recently, on January 15, 2005, 15-year-old Kimmie Meissner landed a triple axel at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Related Topics:
Vern Taylor - 1978 - Midori Ito - 1989 - World Figure Skating Championship - Tonya Harding - 1991 - U.S. Figure Skating Championships - January 15 - 2005 - Kimmie Meissner

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