What’s the difference between the figure skating jumps
Flip, Axel, Salchow, Lutz... Have you ever wondered what technique figure skaters use to perform jumps? We explain the differences between the jumps that will feature at the Olympic Games Beijing 2022.
Figure Skating
Have you ever wondered what the figure skating commentators are on about? In this extremely technical sport, skaters take years and years of tears, sweat and efforts to master the different jumps involved in their sport.
But how can you recognise these jumps while watching the different figure skating events at the Winter Olympic Games Beijing 2022 that will take place from 4 to 20 February?
The take-off is the main difference to distinguish all the jumps. And actually, those jumps fall in two categories:
- Toe jumps: If a jump originates from the front of the blade – the toe-pick (the ridged front end of the blade) – they are called “toe jumps”.
- Edge jumps: If they are taken off from the edge of the blade, they are called “edge jumps”.
There are four edges on each foot: forward inside, forward outside, backward inside and backward outside. “Forward” and “backward” meaning the direction in which the skaters are going. Also, like in gymnastics, some jumps – namely the Salchow, Lutz and Axel – are named after the skaters who originated them.
Olympics.com gives you the keys to understand the jargon of figure skating jump elements. All to better enjoy the Games from the comfort of your couch.
Edge jumps
Loop
- Take-off: backward outside edge
This is the most basic jump of all. Starting from the backward outside edge, you also land on the backward outside edge of the same foot. Your free foot is trailing and you leave your weight on your skating leg. You can attempt a single, a double, a triple or a quadruple loop.
Salchow
- Take-off: backward inside edge
This element is named after Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow, a 10-time world champion between 1901 and 1911. He became Olympic champion in 1908 during the Summer Olympics in London and had to wait for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp to perform in this competition again.
Aged 43 then, he finished fourth. He then became the International Skating Union (ISU) President.
Starting from the backward inside edge, you land on the backward outside edge of the other foot. You bend the leg you start from and extend your free leg behind to then swing it forward and take off. You can do a single, double, triple or quadruple Salchow.
Axel
- Take-off: forward outside edge
The Axel is the only jump where a skater takes off in a forward motion. You bend your knees and kick your free leg forward to help with take-off. You land on the backward outside edge of your opposite foot. A single Axel consists of one and a half rotation.
So really, when you do a triple Axel, you make three and a half revolutions which is almost four rotations! The most common Axel jump in the women's competition is the double, while a few skaters perform triple Axels. For the men, the triple Axel is more standard.
Double Olympic champion Hanyu Yuzuru of Japan has said he would like to attempt a quadruple Axel during the Olympics. He attempted one at the Japanese Championships in December, but the jump was not fully rotated and he landed on two feet.
A quad Axel has never before been completed in competition.
The Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen landed the element which now bears his name for the first time in the 1882 World Championships, where he was originally competing as a speed skater. He was the speed skating world champion from 1882 to 1890.
The toe jumps
Flip
- Take-off: backward inside, with toe-pick
To manage this toe jump, you’ll have to use the toe-pick of your opposite leg. So, get yourself on the backward inside edge, stretch your free leg behind and tap your free leg toe-pick to lift yourself up. You’ll land on what was your free foot to start with, the one with which you toe-picked. Try a double, triple or quadruple flip.
Lutz
- Take-off: backward outside, with toe-pick
You don’t really know if you’re doing a flip or a Lutz? Which edge are you taking off from? That’s what differentiate both jumps. The flip takes off from backward inside edge. The Lutz from the backward outside edge. With both, you use the opposite foot toe-pick and you land on that opposite leg. But as you take off and land on the same edge for a Lutz, it means you’re doing a counter-rotation which makes it more difficult.
Austrian skater Alois Lutz landed his eponymous jump for the first time during a competition in 1913. ROC athlete Alexandra Trusova was the first woman to land a quadruple Lutz in competition.
Toe loop
- Take-off: backward outside, with toe-pick
The difference between this jump and the two previous toe jumps described here is that you land on the same foot you took off from. Like for the Lutz, you start from the backward outside edge, stretch your free leg behind and pick your toe on the ice to launch yourself up and rotate (two, three or four times). You then land on the backward outside edge of your starting foot.