Figure skating jumps
Jumps are divided into eight parts: the set-up, load, transition, pivot, takeoff, flight, landing, and exit.
A skater's body absorbs up to 13–14 g-forces each time he or she lands from a jump,[6] which may contribute to overuse injuries and stress fractures.
Hops, or jumps without rotations, were done for safety reasons, to avoid obstacles, such as hats, barrels, and tree logs, on natural ice.
In the 1920s Austrian skaters began to perform the first double jumps in practice and refine rotations in the Axel.
[17][18] According to writer Ellyn Kestnbaum the development of rotational technique required for Axels and double jumps continued,[19] especially in the United States and Czechoslovakia.
[20] For example, world champion Felix Kasper from Austria was well known for his athletic jumps, which were the longest and highest in the history of figure skating.
[25] According to sports reporter Dvora Meyers, the "quad revolution in women's figure skating" of the early 21st century began in 2018, when Russian skater Alexandra Trusova began performing a quadruple Salchow when she was still competing as a junior.
[14] They require precise rotational control of the skater's upper body, arms, and free leg, and of how well he or she leans into the takeoff edge.
[14] Double and triple versions have increased in importance "as a measure of technical and athletic ability, with attention paid to clean takeoffs and landings".
It was known as the half-loop jump in International Skating Union (ISU) regulations prior to the 2018–2019 season, when the name was changed.
[33] The toe loop is considered the simplest jump because not only do skaters use their toe-picks to execute it, their hips are already facing the direction in which they will rotate.
[36] The toe loop is the easier jump to add multiple rotations to because the toe-assisted takeoff adds power to the jump and because a skater can turn his or her body towards the assisting foot at takeoff, which slightly reduces the rotation needed in the air.
[37] Adding a toe loop to combination jumps does not increase the difficulty of skaters' short or free skating programs.
[50] Sports reporter Nora Princiotti says, about the triple Axel, "It takes incredible strength and body control for a skater to get enough height and to get into the jump fast enough to complete all the rotations before landing with a strong enough base to absorb the force generated.
[58][23] Writer Ellyn Kestnbaum says the ISU established the rule "in order to encourage variety and balance rather than allowing a skater to rack up credit for demonstrating the same skill over and over".
[5]: Rule 353(h) International Figure Skating magazine called this regulation the "Zagitova Rule", named for Alina Zagitova from Russia, who won the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics by "backloading" her free skating program, or placing all her jumps in the second half of the program in order to take advantage of the rule in place at the time that awarded a ten percent bonus to jumps performed during the second half of the program.
[57][60] Also starting in 2018, single skaters could repeat the same two triple or quadruple jumps only in their free skating programs.
[61] Junior men and women single skaters are not allowed to perform quadruple jumps in their short programs.
[35]: 10-11 Both junior and senior skaters receive no points for jumps performed during their short programs that do not satisfy the requirements, including completing the wrong number of revolutions.
[40]: 15 In the free skating program, for both juniors and seniors, skaters are limited to a maximum of one jump combination or sequence.
Jumps during the short program which do not satisfy the requirements (including the wrong number of revolutions) will have no value.
[64] The speed of the team's entry into the throw jump and the number of rotations performed increases its difficulty, as well as the height and/or distance they create.
[40]: 18 According to Kestbaum, jumps are divided into eight parts: the set-up, load, transition, pivot, takeoff, flight, landing, and exit.
[68] Their body absorbs up to 13–14 g-forces each time they land from a jump,[6] which sports researchers Lee Cabell and Erica Bateman say contributes to overuse injuries and stress fractures.
According to scientist Deborah King from Ithaca College, there are basic physics common to all jumps, regardless of the skating techniques required to execute them.
[74] As Tanya Lewis of Scientific American puts it, executing quadruple jumps, which as of 2022, has become more common in both male and female single skating competitions, requires "exquisite strength, speed and grace".
[30]For example, a skater could successfully complete a jump by making small changes to their arm position partway through the rotation, and a small bend in the hips and knees allows a skater "to land with a lower center of mass than they started with, perhaps seeking out a few precious degrees of rotation and a better body position for landing".
Sports writer Dvora Meyers, reporting on Russian coaching techniques, says female skaters executing more quadruple jumps in competition use what experts call pre-rotation, or the practice of twisting their upper bodies before they take off from the ice, which allows them to complete four revolutions before landing.
Meyers also says the technique depends on the skater's being small, light, and young, and that it puts more strain on the back because they do not use as much leg strength.
As a skater ages and goes through puberty, however, they tend to not be able to execute quadruple jumps because "the technique wasn't sound to start with".
