The Physics Behind the Quadruple Axel, the Most Difficult Jump in Figure Skating

In fig skating, the quadruple axel is mostly considered the astir hard jump. Until 2022, erstwhile US skater Ilia Malinin—currently riding precocious arsenic the “Quad God” astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics—started doing them, they seemed impossible. Landing one, naturally, tin springiness an jock a higher score. But for skaters who aren’t generational talents similar Malinin, grasping precisely how to propulsion disconnected a quadruple axel tin beryllium tricky. But physics tin connection immoderate clues.

In 2024, the diary Sports Biomechanics published a survey by Toin University researcher Seiji Hirosawa that brought subject a small person to knowing however quad axels work. One of the biggest factors? Getting high. Like 20 inches disconnected the crushed high.

In the existent scoring strategy of fig skating competitions, the jury, which successful the lawsuit of the Milano Cortina Games consists of 2 method specialists and a method controller, assigns a people to each method element, namely jumps, spins, and steps. However, the scores for the much hard jumps, specified arsenic triple oregon quadruple jumps, are higher than those for the different method elements, truthful skaters indispensable execute them correctly successful bid to triumph competitions.

Generally speaking the axel is the astir technically analyzable of the jumps. There are 3 main types, each distinguished by their takeoffs: toe, blade, oregon edge. Most are named aft the archetypal idiosyncratic to bash them; the axel is named aft Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen. It is besides the lone 1 that involves a guardant start, which leads the jock to execute a half-turn much than different jumps. A elemental axel, therefore, requires 1 and a fractional rotations to complete, portion a quadruple axel requires 4 and a fractional rotations successful the air.

To shed airy connected the circumstantial kinematic strategies utilized by athletes to execute the quadruple axel jump, Hirosawa’s survey focused connected footage of 2 skaters who attempted this leap successful competition. Using information from what’s known arsenic the Ice Scope tracking system, researchers analyzed respective parameters: vertical height, horizontal distance, and skating velocity earlier takeoff and aft landing.

Contrary to erstwhile biomechanical studies, which suggested that leap tallness does not alteration significantly, Hirosawa’s survey recovered that expanding leap tallness is important to successfully performing a quadruple axel jump. Both skaters, successful fact, aimed to execute importantly greater vertical heights successful their attempts to execute this leap than successful the triple axel.

“This suggests a strategical displacement toward expanding vertical tallness to maestro 4A [quadruple axel] jumps, successful opposition to erstwhile biomechanical probe that did not stress vertical height,” the survey concluded.

Increased leap height, Hirosawa adds, provides accrued formation clip by allowing a ample fig of rotations astir the longitudinal axis of the body. Short version: leap higher, crook more. “The results of this survey supply invaluable insights into the biomechanics of quadruple and triple axel jumps, update existing theories of fig skating research, and supply insights into grooming strategies for managing analyzable jumps,” the survey concludes.

Easier said than done—unless you’re Ilia Malinin.